


Ash & Steel

by Rainwalker12



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aangst?, Bisexual Zuko (Avatar), Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Fluff, Guards, I took the guard from Iroh's prison and changed him, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh is the best, M/M, Now he's actually cool, Order of the White Lotus, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Referenced Zuko/Jet, Referenced Zuko/Mai, Swearing, The Gaang & Zuko - Freeform, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko and a random guard are best buds, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, dealing with death, no beta we die like jet, nonbender appreciation, nonbenders ftw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24567031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainwalker12/pseuds/Rainwalker12
Summary: After the return of the Fire Prince and the imprisonment of ex-General Iroh, a Fire Nation guard finds himself questioning what he's meant to do with his life, and if the Fire Prince is meant to be a part of it.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 198





	1. The Prisoner

Hiro is there when The Prisoner arrives. He’s just been woken up and put on guard duty again, and nobody is due to be brought in so he settles himself in for a quiet night.

Out of nowhere, two burly guards bust in, waving important-looking documents bearing the Royal Seal, and dragging a haggard old man in chains.

“Sir, I don’t see a transfer anywhere on the records,” Hiro tries to explain, but the men make it clear that this prisoner was sent from the Fire Lord himself, and if he denies them he will be promptly replaced. 

And just like that, the jail gains a new inhabitant.

Hiro has the old man sit down in one of the lobby chairs while he writes up and sorts the paperwork. For some reason, the man looks much sadder than most prisoners he’d seen on their first day. No struggles for freedom, no desperate “please don’t do this”, just silent sorrow. 

“So, what’re you in for? These documents don’t say much.” Hiro breaks the silence, and the man lifts his head slightly, but makes no move to respond. Hiro draws a ragged breath and sighs.

“What’s your name, at least? These documents were hastily made,” he mutters, and coughs into his sleeve. The man looks up to face him this time, staring into his eyes.

“I have gone by many names, but my name is Iroh.” He simply replies, and Hiro jots that down before staring a little closer, something clicking in his mind. Ah, the famous Dragon of the West. Who knew he’d end up here?

“Alright Iroh, I’ll take you to your cell. Follow me, and don’t get too close to the outer cells. Some of the prisoners can be… grabby. You’ll be in a singular cell, so you don’t need to worry about any of them bothering you.” He remarks, standing up and leading the way down the hall. The famous general is silent the entire way, but he studies Hiro’s face as if committing it to memory.

Hiro doesn’t have a particularly memorable face; his eyes are the classic Fire Nation amber, and his sleek black hair is kept in a crew cut so he didn’t have to worry about it getting in his eyes. No foreign skin color, just pale. A strong jaw, but not overly sharp. He is… for lack of a better word, normal. Well, he's pretty buff, but that's about it. 

Finally, the pair makes it to the cell where Iroh will be kept. It’s a pretty basic inner cell, in its own room and with bars covering the roof as well. Hiro ushers the older man into the cell, locking the cage door behind him. Hiro begins to leave, but hesitates, the gears in his mind turning.

“You know, my mother knew of you.” He starts, and Iroh stares back at him with an unreadable emotion. Hiro bows deeply. “Even here, in a rank prison cell, a Lotus Grandmaster will still be treated with respect.” 

A small smile curls onto the old man’s haggard face, and Hiro finds himself smiling too as he leaves the man behind.

...

Hiro sips his mug of tea, savoring the warm rush it sends through his body. Staring into the mug, he idly notes that swirls in the liquid almost seem to form shapes. Cool.

“Thank you for the tea, young man. It is much appreciated!” Iroh breaks the silence, grinning up at the armored guard from his position on the floor. Hiro shakes his head.

“It’s no trouble, I’d hate to leave someone like you rotting in a cell like this. We’ve got to be careful, though; if any of the other guards find out about this, I might be joining you in here.” Hiro grimly takes another swallow of his tea, and digs his hand into his pouch. From it he draws a small container of curry and rice, courtesy of one of the to-go stalls in the market. 

“Here, I brought some food too. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll take the container back so there’s no trace of it.” Iroh gratefully accepts the bowl, and digs in with gusto.

“Say, young man, what is your name? I never got a chance to ask, but I would like to know more about who has been helping me.” Iroh asks, his mouth half full with food, and Hiro smiles.

“My name’s Hiro, just Hiro. I’ve been a guard for a year or so, joined the guard as soon as I could, but I’ve only ever worked here. What else do you want to know?” He asks, and Iroh sets down the bowl with a sigh of contentment.

“I have a nephew about your age, he’ll probably stop by soon. I think you would like him. Do you have any siblings?” Hiro chuckles, taking his helmet off and resting it in his lap.

“No, it’s just me. Parents are gone too, but my mother was part of the Order. I was never inducted, she died when I was young, but she liked to talk about it.” Hiro levels his gaze to the Grand Lotus before him. “About you.” There is quiet for a moment, as both warriors enjoy their tea, before Hiro realizes something.

“Wait, you really think Prince Zuko and I would get along?”

Iroh’s eyes twinkle. “Why not? You’re both strong warriors, and he needs more people in his life. He has lost his way, but maybe you could help him find it.” The offer hangs in the air, heavier than a bugbear, and Hiro drains the last of his tea in silence. 

“I’ve never met the guy so I’m not quite sure what he’s like,” he says after a moment. “But from what I’ve heard, he’s not the friendliest. I’m just a normal guard, what makes you think-”

The door swings open, and in an instant Hiro is at the door of the cage, his foot firmly planted against a bar. 

“You abandoned your country, old man. Don’t expect us to forget that.” Hiro seethes with false anger, and a brief smile flickers across Iroh’s face before he bows his head, continuing the act. The guard behind him gives a low chuckle, amused, and Hiro slams his hand against the bars one last time before turning and stomping off, smirking at the other guard as he goes. He stops in the doorway, and turns his head back to glance at Iroh.

“Your nephew, though? Now there’s a man of honor.” With a sneaky wink, Hiro turns again and continues down to his next post, only stopping to let out a hacking cough.

...

It all begins with a shadow.

Just the faint hint of a figure in the darkened streets, barely even noticeable. Most guards wouldn’t even have seen it, but most guards don’t have a keen-eyed armadillo-dog to help them keep watch.

“Chika?” He says as she growls, and sits up from his chair. She points like a dart into the darkness of the streets, growling at something. He squints out into the darkness and can barely make out a silken hood and cloak. 

“Who’s there? Identify yourself?” He shouts, but the figure simply walks away. Hiro reaches for his crossbow, leaned on the balcony next to him, but even if they’re sneaking around whoever was out there surely doesn’t warrant a bolt in the back.

Still, the image of the figure in the dark stays with him. He has a jail to protect, and it would be irresponsible to ignore a possible threat. A few days pass, and Hiro puts it out of his mind in favor of finding ways to help Iroh. They haven’t been able to meet since they were last interrupted because of the more frequent guard cycles, but he manages to sneak in better food during the feeding rounds. 

It’s after one such round late at night that Hiro hears the faint pitter-patter of feet against the tiled floor behind him. He doesn’t have Chika this time, so sliding his spear into a ready position, he turns to face the same cloaked figure as he had seen days ago.

“It’s you again! Stop where you are!” He shouts, but the figure continues its slow march towards him. He bristles and prepares to strike, but the figure’s head raises and Hiro catches a glimpse of amber eyes and a terrible red scar. “Prince Zuko.” He asks, more of a statement than a question.

In a flash he’s up against the wall, with a pale hand clenching the collar of his vest. “I’m going in for a visit, and you’re going to stand guard here. No one is going to know about this.” The Prince hisses, but Hiro’s rough hand is already wrapped around the Prince’s pale one and forcing it down. 

“Relax, Your Highness. Be my guest.” Hiro tries to give a genuine smile, but it fails to calm down the angry Fire Prince. He gestures toward the door, and with a scoff the Prince slams the door behind him. A smaller smile rolls across his face, but soon is replaced by a growing sense of horror.

Marching toward Hiro is another guard; one of the newer recruits, fresh out of training and into a trial period at the prison. This makes him no less dangerous, though. The newer guards tended to be rule sticklers, not wanting to get in trouble early on in their career. Knowing this, Hiro tries for a more forward approach.

“Halt! I was not aware of any replacement being sent for this shift.” Hiro lies, knowing fully well that his shift ended five minutes ago. The new guard stops to take out a worn sheet of paper, and walks over to Hiro to show him. 

“Well, my shift list clearly states that your shift ends about now, and that I am to replace you.” The guard pockets the piece of paper, and Hiro gives a sheepish laugh.

“That’s odd, I guess I just didn’t read mine properly. I-” He stops to hack into his sleeve, and the new guard eyes him with no small amount of disgust.

“What’s wrong?” He says as the cough continues for a good twenty seconds. “Are you diseased?”

“Sorry, I think this prisoner is sick.” Hiro gestures to Iroh’s cell once the cough subsides. “As a matter of fact, I think it’s spreading. A lot of the prisoners have been coughing, and we might have to look into fatalities.” The guard’s face turns green.

“A-are you sure? I don’t want to get sick…”

“Hey, how about this? I’ll take your shift, and you can take one of mine some other time when this is all cleared up.” Hiro offers, and a look of relief spreads across the guard’s face.

“S-Sure! I am in your debt.” The guard bows, and takes off as fast as his feet can take him. Hiro releases a breath he doesn’t know he’s been holding, just in time for the cell door to swing open violently. The Prince storms out, barely paying attention to Hiro.

“Hey! Prince Zuko!” He calls, and the Prince turns with anger on his face. “You should pay more attention to what your uncle says.” The Prince huffs, and his brow creases in irritation.

“What, just because we’re family? That old man-”

“Family doesn’t mean anything,” Hiro interrupts. “But that ‘old man’ really cares for you, and you shouldn’t just let that go to waste.” The Prince stares at him with confusion in his eyes for a moment, then continues on his way out with a snort.

Hiro watches him leave with narrowed eyes.

Once the coast is clear, Hiro opens the door to Iroh’s cell and slips in. A stool lies burned and broken against the wall, and he makes a mental note to replace it before it gets noticed by another guard. 

Iroh sits against the wall, tears streaming down his face, and Hiro takes a seat on the floor across from him. 

“I heard what you said.” Iroh breaks the silence with a voice heavy with sorrow, and Hiro turns his gaze to the floor. “Thank you for trying to reach out to him, I am only sorry that he is so stubborn.”

“It’s alright, I’m sure that he’ll be back. He’s very lucky to have someone like you, I hope that he will be able to see that someday.” Hiro coughs into his sleeve again, the sound ringing in the silence. Iroh shifts on the floor, turning his still-teary gaze up to meet Hiro’s.

“You know, you should get that cough checked out. You should take more notice of your health,” Iroh chastises, and Hiro laughs. Even after his nephew yelled at him, he still has the capacity to worry about a near stranger?

“It’s chronic. I went to a doctor once, but he said it won't go away.” Hiro gives an easy smile. “I’ve gotten used to it, it doesn’t really bother me anymore.” He rises to his feet, shaking off the pins and needles that seem to poke his legs. “Well, I should probably get back to my patrol. I wouldn’t want any break-ins. Or break-outs, for that matter.” Iroh nods, and bows his head.

“Thank you for your compassion, I hope that I will find a way to repay you someday.” Hiro shakes off the thanks, and opens the door to leave. “Oh, and Hiro?”

“Hm?” 

“My nephew is rather fond of animals. Maybe you could use that to reach out to him?”

Hiro smiles, thinking of how Chika might react if she finally found out who had been lurking around. “Yeah, that could be interesting,” he replies, and then strides out the door.  


He has a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the story! Let me know what you think as you read, I'll appreciate any comments you have or if you have any remarks on how I can improve my writing style. I know it's a bit clunky, but I hope you enjoy :)


	2. The Prince

Chika growls and Hiro sits up at his desk, keeping one hand on his spear leaning against the table next to him. Who would show up so late at night? A surprise inspector? Or maybe...

He relaxes when a familiar figure in silken robes strides through the door. “Here to see your uncle again?” He calls out, but the Prince seems to be focused on him instead.

A hand, pale and gloved, slams down on his desk. “Guard. Answer me a question.” Two golden eyes, full of mistrust and anger, stare down at the man before him.

Hiro gives him an easy smile and leans back in his chair. “Whatever you wish, my lord.”

“I told you to keep quiet about my meeting with my uncle. So how did my sister miraculously guess that I was here?!” The Prince asks, a small flame sparking around his fingertips.

Hiro shys away from the flame, confusion written in his features. “I didn’t tell her, if that’s what you’re asking. You might be a bit hot-tempered,” he eyes the still-flaming hand warily, “but I wouldn’t betray Iroh. He’s a good man, and I wouldn’t want to see him get in trouble. Well, more than he’s already in. In fact, I actually had to cover for you and take an extra shift so you wouldn’t get caught!” 

One hand (the non-flaming one, Hiro notes with relief) shoots out to grab Hiro’s collar, and the Prince leans in close. “If I find out you’re lying, then I’ll make sure personally that you’re deployed to the front lines of the war. Understand?” His grip tightens around Hiro’s armoured collar, but he gives a small chuckle.

“I understand, my lord, but I suggest you let go of me before my armadillo-dog takes off your hand.” He gestures to the corner of the room, where Chika has her haunches raised and teeth bared. “She won’t attack unless I tell her to, but she’s rather easy to anger.” The Prince hastily releases him, and Hiro brushes himself off before getting up from his chair.

“She won’t attack?” The Prince asks, still staring at Chika.

“Nope. Chika, sit!” The large armadillo-dog plops down on the ground, all of her fury and tension gone. Her tail wags, and she pants in happiness as Hiro gives her a pat on the head and coughs into his sleeve. “Would you like to pet her?” He offers, and he sees a faint glow in the Prince’s eyes.

“I don’t know-”

“I think she likes you, and you can give her a few treats if you want.” Hiro wheedles, and the Prince caves. Chika hesitantly trots over to him, carefully sniffing his feet and circling him before plopping her rump down in front of him and wagging her tail in joy. The Prince gives her a few careful pets, and after a moment reaches further to scratch her hard shell. 

Hiro smiles as the crease of anger leaves the Prince’s brow, replaced by what seemed like a sense of happiness. He wordlessly hands the Prince a large bone from his pouch, who gently holds it out to Chika. The armadillo-dog, almost reverently, takes the bone in her mouth and strides over to the corner to chew on her treat,

“She’s not usually this relaxed around strangers, so she must like you.” Hiro breaks the silence, and the Prince turns back to him, a faint blush on his pale face.

“T-Thanks. Is she yours?” He asks, his cool demeanor slowly returning.

“Yeah, she’s mine alright. I found her wandering the streets a couple years ago, so I took her in and trained her myself. She’s not always here with me, though; a few of the other guards like to take her on patrols. She likes it too, it’s good exercise. Let me know when you’re planning on stopping by, and I’ll see if I can bring her in.” The Prince looks surprised at the insinuated offer, and a hint of the old anger slips back on his face again. 

“Don’t think I’ll let you go if it turns out you told Azula just because you have a cute armadillo-dog,” he warns. “I’m not planning on making visiting Uncle a regular thing, but… I’ll see what I can do.” Another blush passes fleetingly across his face, and Hiro’s smile grows wider.

“Oh, I realized I never introduced myself! I’m Hiro.” He holds his hand out for a handshake, and after a brief moment the Prince tentatively shakes it.

“I’m Zuko, but you already know that.” Zuko doesn’t smile, but the room feels almost lighter. “Also, could you give the… the prisoner this cup of tea? I know prison food is pretty terrible…” The Prince takes out a small flask and hands it to Hiro, who sets it down on the desk.

“Of course! I try to sneak in good food or tea when I can, but I’m not the only one on feeding duty.” The Prince looks surprised at this admission.

“You really do that for U- uh, him? I mean, you barely know him.”

“That’s true, but he’s a good man, and my mother knew him. She used to tell me a bit about him and what he did, so I’d like him to at least have a few comforts in prison.” Hiro hesitates, before continuing. “He really loves you, you know. Obviously something happened between you two, but I’d be happy to pass on any messages or gifts you don’t want to give in person.” Hiro offers, and a flash of emotion passes briefly over the Prince’s face.

“Just the tea will be fine.” He orders briskly, but Hiro can hear the faint waver in his voice. He bows his head.

“Suit yourself, but I’ll be here most nights if you need anything else. Or you can send a messenger, or find me at the barracks. Other guards might think it odd if you visit your uncle, so it might be best to only do it when I’m on duty.” The Prince nods his head, and silence reigns in the room for a moment.

“I’ll be going now,” the Prince says, breaking the silence. “You should take the tea to U- the prisoner before it gets cold.” 

“I will.” Hiro nods his head. “Have a nice day, Prince Zuko.” The Prince strides out the door, and Hiro smiles faintly as he leaves.

This is good progress.

Hiro slides open Iroh’s cell door a few minutes later, holding the warm flask in one hand. Iroh looks up to see him, and a small smile stretches across his face. 

“Your nephew was here,” Hiro starts, and Iroh’s smile begins to fade. “But,” he amends, “he brought you a flask of tea.” Iroh’s smile is back full force, and Hiro finds himself smiling too as he slips the vial through the bars.

“I take it you two talked?” Iroh asks as he takes a sip of hot tea. 

“Yeah, we had a pretty nice talk, actually. You were right about the animal part; I brought Chika with me today, she’s my armadillo-dog, and he took to her like a moth to flame.”

Iroh smiles. “That is good, I hope he will come back soon. He is a troubled boy, but I have faith that in time, he will learn that he has lost his way. Until then, however, I cannot support what he does."

“I get that. I don’t know what happened between you two in the Earth Kingdom, but if his way of thinking doesn’t change then what he feels won’t either. He said he’d come back if he could, so I’m making good progress. To be honest, he’s actually quite nice to be around, once you get past the anger and mistrust.”

Iroh chuckles, taking a long swig of tea. “That is good, I would not want you to befriend him solely for me anyway. Genuine friendship is what will help him, and I am glad that you wish to help him.”

Hiro stretches and coughs into his sleeve. “Well, I should get back to my desk. I don’t want to leave Chika alone for too long, she gets sad after a while.” Iroh smiles and bows his head. Hiro reciprocates, and takes the now-empty flask of tea as he leaves. 

…

Steel clashes and sweat pours down Hiro’s brow as his spear’s head is deflected by his enemy, the long shaft pulled out of his grasp. Grunting, he reluctantly unsheathes his sword from his back. His opponent sizes him up and down, and the two circle each other for a moment.

His enemy’s eyes flicker every so slightly to the sidelines, where eyes stare impassively at the two. Hiro takes his chance and strikes, his claymore sword slicing at his opponent’s chestplate. The swipe is dodged, but the attempt puts his enemy off-balance, and Hiro continues his assault, his blade meeting with the other’s only once before a heavy blow knocks the enemy to the ground. Hiro’s blade points at his throat, and with a groan the opponent raises his hands in surrender. Hiro chuckles and sheaths his sword, extending a hand to the downed foe.

“That was a good fight, Ren. You almost had me when you knocked my spear out of my hands, you just need to learn to not hesitate when you strike.” He helps Ren to his feet, and brushes himself off. 

“Thanks Hiro! I know I’m new but I feel like I’m making progress,” Ren laughs as he hands Hiro the spear that had fallen. 

“You’re doing great! Alright, who’s next?” Hiro turns to the other six new recruits, who stare at him with starry eyes. As the recruits argue over who should be next, Hiro catches sight of a robed and hooded figure standing in the shadow of the training ground’s doorway. He squints his eyes, trying to get a better look at the intruder, but a single glimpse of pale skin and red scar put his worries at ease. “Actually everyone, we’ll have to finish this another day, I have someone to talk to. Remember, always strive to be better and practice with each other!” Hiro coughs and strides over to the cloaked figure, ignoring the groans from behind him.

“What brings you here, Fire Prince? Here to watch me spar with the new recruits?” HIro jokes, stopping next to the Prince. 

The Prince shakes his head. “I came here to tell you that I plan on visiting… that man… tomorrow night, so be ready.” 

“And bring Chika?” Hiro asks, his grin only growing wider as a flush crosses the Prince’s pale face.

The Prince coughs, embarrassed. “So, you train the new guards?” He asks, obviously changing the subject. 

“Well, they’ve already received their official training, but I’m pretty handy with a blade so I give them a few tips. I’m fairly new to the guard too, so I know what it’s like starting out.” 

The Prince looks surprised, Hiro notes. “I’ve never thought about how the guards are trained, or what they’re like.” A confident look crosses his face. “I bet I could take them with just my swords.”

Hiro laughs and slings an arm across the Prince’s shoulders. His arm is quickly shoved off, but Hiro’s smile remains. “Most people don’t take the time to think of us as individual people, but that’s exactly what we are; regular, normal people. Maybe you should stop by sometime to spar with us? We’d love to have you.”

The Prince eyes Hiro warily, but seems to find no malice or ill intent. “That would be impossible. My face is too recognizable, my father would not-”

“Actually, I’ve got a solution to that,” Hiro interrupts. “Give me a second, I’ll be right back.” He heads for the armoury, and roots around for a minute or so. “Ah! Got it!” He returns bearing a military firebender helmet, which would fully cover one’s face.

“Really? A helmet? You think that’ll fix everything?” The Prince takes the offered helmet hesitantly, holding it up for inspection.

“It’s worth a shot. Quick, put it on!” The Prince hastily stuff the helmet on before Hiro calls, “Ren! Kou! Come here for a second, I have someone I’d like you to meet!” 

“What are you doing?!” The Prince hisses as the two recruits jog over.

“Integrating you. Act natural.” Hiro whispers back. “Ren, Kou, meet…” He looks at the Prince scrutinizingly, “Li. He’s a friend of mine, and he might stop by sometimes to spar. If I’m not here, just practice with him if you can, okay?”

Ren nods. “Cool. What’s with the mask, are you a firebender?” The Prince freezes, but Hiro swoops in and takes over the conversation.

“He fought in Ba Sing Se, but an Earthbender messed up his face so he wears the mask all the time.” Ren nods again, his mouth an O of surprise. The guards respect warriors, and scars are usually seen as a mark of glory in battle. 

“That’s all, you two. You can go now.” The pair bow once and head back to their cluster. The second they’re gone, the Prince whirls on Hiro.

“Seriously, Li?! An earthbender ‘messed up’ my face? That’s the best you can come up with?”

“I’ve met more Li’s than I can count, so you won’t stick out. And they’ll respect scars, if anything they’ll see you as a war hero for defending your country.” The Prince huffs and whirls around, striding off and away from the training ground.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Li!” Hiro calls out after him, but the Prince doesn’t give him the satisfaction of a response.

Hiro notes with a grin that the Prince doesn’t leave the helmet behind.

…

Zuko slams the cell door behind him as he storms out again. 

Why did his Uncle refuse to acknowledge that Zuko was right? He did what he had to in Ba Sing Se, and look! He has his honor; he has his father; he even has Mai! Uncle was a fool for not realizing that, and he would rot in jail like a traitor until he learned his lesson.

…

No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn’t really bring himself to believe it. 

Still, the Avatar was most likely alive, and it’s up to him to deal with it before Father found out. Already he formulates a plan in his head: he’d heard rumors long ago about an expert assassin, more machine than man. Perhaps that would be enough to do the job?

He strides out into the main room, barely noticing Hiro sitting at his desk. His thoughts are too full, too many ideas, too many possibilities.

What he does feel, however, is the strangely disheartening feeling of Hiro’s gaze burning a hole in the back of his head.

…

And why does the thought of Hiro being disappointed in him bother him so much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! I feel a bit less satisfied with this chapter, but the next one should be more exciting. Let me know what you think, I'm glad that at least some people are enjoying this!


	3. Close Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: This chapter deals with death, violence, and the like.

Hiro hums a song softly as he makes his rounds, the metal food cart squealing against the tile floor. He smiles at each prisoner as he pushes their dinner into their cells, but only a few smile back. No matter, he’s gotten on the good sides of a few nicer prisoners, and that’s enough for him. 

Well, one prisoner he specifically makes no effort to befriend, but he feels no sorrow about it. Some people just need to rot.

Once his section of the prison is finished, he makes his way back to the break room, where the guards on duty ate meals in between shifts.

Hiro reaches for the door, but to his surprise it is slightly ajar. Maybe another guard already finished? He reasons, and opens the door the rest of the way to carry the bowl of gruel in. 

“I didn’t expect anyone else to be-” is all he manages to get out before his voice catches in his throat as he nearly trips over the body lying on the floor.

One of the prison guards- his name was Koji, Hiro remembers sorrowfully- lays face down, a pool of blood staining the dirt floor around him courtesy of a rather large knife wound in his back.  
Instinctively Hiro kneels to check for a pulse, and while the body is still warm, Koji is gone and so are his keys.

“Agni, we’ve got an intruder” Hiro swears as he stands and draws his spear. He’d left his sword at the front desk with Chika, but the feel of polished wood in his hands help calm his nerves a little nonetheless. 

Hiro leaves the break room and creeps around a corner, scanning the halls. Obviously the intruder must be after someone in the prison; it had happened before, as a few of the prisoners were reputable enough to have made more than a few enemies. But who would they…

Iroh.

Hiro breaks into a run, desperately hoping he’s wrong. The ex-general could probably beat whoever the assassin was in an equal fight, but chained and unarmed? That might cause some difficulties. He approaches Iroh’s cell hallway at a breakneck speed, turning the last corner to-

A leg appears and slams into Hiro’s shins, causing him to tumble to the ground. He manages to turn it into a clumsy roll, but he doesn’t stand up fast enough to avoid a blast of fire catching him in the shoulder. 

Great, a firebender.

Recovering from the blow as he dodges another blast, Hiro and the assassin face each other with weapons at the ready. From what he can see under the hood and cloak, the assassin is short and lithe, useful for slipping a knife between an unsuspecting enemy’s ribs but not built for a prolonged fight. 

Luckily, Hiro’s trained for battles of strength, and muscle more than makes up for lack of dexterity. 

Hiro makes the first move. His spear thrusts out at the assassin’s chest, but the attack is swiftly dodged and another blast of fire shoots back in retaliation. Hiro’s gauntleted hand comes up to swat the flames away, managing to disperse most of it.

Firebenders are stronger at a distance, where they can just shoot flames forever. But if I can get him up close…

Hiro and the assassin trade blows, and bit by bit Hiro inches his way closer to the cloaked man. His spear stabs out again, primed to maim or kill, but this time the man is ready, and a quick kick snaps his spear’s shaft in half. It falls to the floor, useless, and Hiro finds himself unarmed against a firebender.

Hiro closes the gap with a cry of rage, one large hand wrapping around the assassin’s throat while the other grabs the enemy’s arm to hinder his firebending. With a heave he lifts the man in the air and throws him, sending him soaring into the wall with a painful thud.

Before the man can recover, Hiro is upon him, an armored hand smashing into his face. The assassin’s head lolls, and Hiro lets the man go as the enemy goes limp. He clutches one hand to his burnt shoulder, grunting in pain as he does so, and scrutinizes the unconscious enemy.

A foot slams into his stomach, and the apparently not-unconscious attacker leaps to his feet and begins to spring down the hallway towards the exit. Hiro wheezes, the breath knocked out of him, and feels the familiar tightening of his chest. He starts to hobble after the assassin, hacking into his elbow as he breaks into a run. 

The man is nearing the exit when he next comes into sight; beyond him Hiro can see the light of his desk and…

Chika.

“Chika! Attack!” Hiro manages to yell hoarsely, and the assassin skids to a halt too slow to avoid the jaws of terror. The 200-pound armadillo dog tackles the small man, bowling him over and clamping her jaws around his arm. Hiro capitalizes on the distraction and closes the distance, slamming a kick into the assassin’s side. 

Chika whimpers around a mouthful of flesh as her leg begins to smoke; the firebender’s hand has wrapped around it, and the horrid stench of burning fur fills the room. 

“Chika! Release!” Hiro cries, and with a pained snarl the armadillo-dog unclamps her jaw from the now-bloodied arm. Hiro reaches down and grabs the assassin’s collar, lifting him into the air before him. 

“Mind telling me who sent you, or do I need to beat it out of you?” Hiro growls, and recoils as a glob of mucus and blood is spat into his eye. “Beating it is then.” Hiro wraps a meaty elbow around the assassin’s neck, turning his head away from Hiro’s own. 

The man’s fingers scrabble against Hiro’s arm, trying to break free of the chokehold, but Hiro only tightens his grasp. His arms fall slack for a moment, and Hiro almost believes that he’s given up, but then they soar up in a flash of metal and pain erupts in Hiro’s arm. 

“OW!” Hiro roars, and cranes his head to see a knife fall to the floor, a long gash from it crossing his forearm. The wound burns hot as any fire, and Hiro feels his arm’s strength fading. 

The firebender’s arms come up again, one hand pressing against his bicep, and Hiro cries out as the hand heats white-hot. The heat feels akin to the time Hiro had dropped a torch on his foot, but ten times more intense and painful. His grip becomes almost nonexistent, and the man struggles eagerly.

In a few moments the assassin would break free, and Hiro would be dead.

But the moment never comes, and in a burst of orange light the man falls limp in his grasp with a hole through his torso.

Hiro releases the body with a groan and slumps to the floor, covering his bleeding wound with one hand. Through hazy eyes he sees a familiar cloak and hood; The Prince had arrived for his meeting.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Hiro rasps, giving a pained smile. “Could you call for a medic?”

…

Hiro sits across from the Prince, a mug of hot tea steaming in his unbandaged arm’s hand. He takes a slow sip, studying the impassive face of the Fire Prince as they sit in a tea shop Hiro is rather fond of, where he knows the owner wouldn’t care who they were if the Avatar himself came in shouting their praises.

“What happened in there?” The Prince breaks the silence at last, and Hiro coughs into his sleeve, wincing as his burns flare.

“I already told the guards, but you weren’t there so I’ll say it again.” The Prince had left before the medic got there, because they both knew what would happen if he was found in the same area as General Iroh. “I’d just finished feeding the prisoners’ dinner, when I found a dead guard in the back room. I thought someone had come to kill Iroh, so I rushed over and the guy we killed was there. I beat him up a bit, so he ran away, and Chika got him good in the arm. He burned her,” he stops to pet the bandaged Chika beneath the table, “so I choked him out. He slashed my arm and burned me, and that was when you showed up.” Hiro exhales deeply, watching the air ripple across the surface of his tea. “Thanks for that, by the way. I’d be… I’d be dead if it weren’t for you.” 

Hiro looks up to see a conflicted look on the Prince- on Zuko’s- face. The person before him isn’t the Prince he’d seen at the training ground and in the prison; here, in the sanctuary of a seedy tea shop in the dead of night, the hood has come off and the royal facade is dropped. Before him is just Zuko- an angry, misguided teenager who somehow became one of Hiro’s only friends in a matter of days. What an odd life, eh?

Zuko catches Hiro staring, and he looks away with an embarrassed flush. He locks eyes with Zuko, and finds a strange sadness in the uneven orange stare.

“Fire Prin- er, Zuko? Is everything okay?” Hiro leans forward. “What’s on your mind? It often helps to get it off your chest, in my opinion.” 

“Does… does it ever get better?”

The question catches Hiro off guard, and Zuko avoids his gaze. “Does what get better?”

“Today, I killed someone. He was there one moment, attacking you, so I reacted, and then…” Gone, goes unsaid.

Hiro sighs, his eyes turning down to his drink. “Honestly, not really. The first was the hardest for me. I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but… there have been three.” Their table goes quiet. They lock eyes again, and Hiro realizes that a strange sense of empathy flows through him when he thinks about what Zuko must be going through.

“Would you… like to talk about it?” The words come from Zuko, and he looks just as surprised as Hiro does. “I mean, you said it helps to get it off your chest. So…” He trails off, and Hiro takes another sip of his tea.

“This isn’t a very pretty story,” he warns, but Zuko lets out a small laugh.

“I’ve been all across the world searching for the Avatar, I’ve seen a lot of bad things. I think I can handle it.”

“If you’re sure. Well, first you need to know that I worked in the coal mines for a few years when I was younger. ‘Reform school’, they called it. There was a man, his name was Takeshi. He was big and scary, to my 11-year-old self, and he always took some of my meals. He did that for a year or so, and he picked on my friend Akira too. The mines were a nasty place; the guards didn’t bat an eye if anyone fought or even killed someone else, and everyone there was there for one crime or another. No benders, because even the slightest flame could light everything up like a bonfire.” Zuko nods, and Hiro takes a swig of tea as his thoughts churn.

“Everyone always walked around with a weapon, or else you could get mugged or worse. I found a tree branch and hammered a bunch of nails through it, made for a nice spiked club. One day, Takeshi pulled a knife on me and threatened to kill me if I didn’t give him my food. I was just so hungry, and fed up, and…” Hiro swallows, the lump in his throat growing bigger.

“And what?” Zuko’s eyes meet Hiro’s, full of the same emotion Hiro had felt earlier. Empathy.

Hiro takes a deep breath. “We both swung for the head. He missed, I… didn’t.” Hiro exhales, wheezing into the back of his hand before he catches his breath.

“I see.” Is all Zuko says, and when Hiro braves a look the prince is sat back in thought, his eyes turned toward the ceiling. They sit in silence, but somehow despite the somber mood the silence is comforting, not awkward. Hiro enjoys his tea, reaching to nibble on a sugared pastry as well. He wouldn’t be sleeping tonight away, so it would be useful to get sugar in his system for energy.

“How are you feeling?” Hiro asks after a few more minutes of silence. Zuko shakes his head, throwing himself out of whatever he was thinking.

“I’m feeling better, I just have a lot to think about.” Zuko gives Hiro a tentative smile, something that made his heart warm for a moment. “I’m not sure why I’m telling you all this, I barely even know you!” A hint of The Prince comes back, but Hiro is quick to alleviate it.

“Have you had many guy friends? I’ve heard that you hang out with your sister and her friends, but I’ve found it harder to relate to girls in most ways, with one exception.” Zuko raises an eyebrow, obviously confused, so Hiro just shakes his head.

“I haven’t had many friends at all, growing up I just practiced my firebending and swordsmanship. I didn’t have time for friends, and I’m still unsure that I do now.” Zuko eyes Hiro critically up and down, and Hiro claps an uninjured hand on his shoulder.

“Sure you do! It can’t hurt to try, and just look at you! I even got a smile out of you earlier!” Zuko’s face flushes, as red as a tomato, and Hiro revels in the fact that he made the Fire Prince blush.

“T-That doesn’t mean-”

“Listen, when I first met you a few days ago you were moody and angry, and now look at you! You’re having tea with a friend, smiling, and we’re learning more about each other! Look me in the eyes and tell me that you’re not happy.” Hiro smirks when Zuko fails to do so. 

“Look, I have to get going and change my bandages, but I stop here after every shift, so you should stop by sometime. And don’t forget about training with the guards! I can’t actually spar with them now, so maybe you could take my place?” Hiro offers, but Zuko looks unsure. “Just think about it, it’s always an option.” Zuko nods, and Hiro smiles wider.

“I’ll see you around, Hiro.”

“Don’t be a stranger, Zuko.”

Chika barks merrily, and the two laugh one last time before parting into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was darker than the past two, but I think it turned out well. The next chapter will be merrier to make up for it!


	4. It's A Long, Long Way to Ba Sing Se...

The sun beats down heavy on the cracked dirt training grounds, leaving guards sweltering in armor and causing once-rigorous battles to turn into sluggish spars.

Hiro’s bandages itch as he turns the corner into the grounds, Chika limping dutifully at his side. She was lucky enough to have her thick shell to save her stomach and back from much harm, but her canine legs were not so lucky. A thick bandage swaddles a front leg, where burn salves slowly take their work. 

Hiro’s own right arm is bandaged from the wrist to the shoulder; the assassin’s dagger left quite a long gash, and the hand-shaped burn on his bicep needed treatment, so he was on strict orders to take it easy for the next week or two. Even so, it couldn’t hurt to stop by and give the new guards a few tips, right?”

“Hey Hiro, over here!” A voice calls out, and Hiro squints into the hazy summer heat to see Ren waving over to him, beckoning him to come join the small cluster of guards in the shade of a large tree.

Hiro makes his way over, Chika following closely at his heels. The other guards take in his bandages, and Ren claps him on his (thankfully uninjured) shoulder.

“We heard about what happened, you’re quite the talk of the town! An assassination attempt thwarted by a single guard, what a tale!” Ren grins at him, and Hiro smiles back.

“Well, I can’t take all the credit! I would’ve been lost without Chika here.” He leans down to scratch behind the armadillo-dog’s ears, and Chika pants in joy. 

“Well c’mon, tell us all about it!” One of the other guards exclaims, and Hiro laughs. He sits down, resting his back against the base of the tree, and the guards follow suit.

“Okay, so there I was, doing my patrol rounds, when I find Koji lying on the ground. Agni guide him, he was a good man.” The group takes a moment of silence to send a prayer to Agni, before Hiro continues. “I rush down to the prisoner cells, where this scrawny-looking hooded guy somehow trips me. He almost gets me while I’m down- he was a firebender- but I’m too smart for that and I get up,” Hiro boasts. All good stories are exaggerated, and this is no different as the recruits watch him with starry eyes, Ren especially. 

“He was a titchy fellow, not really built for one-on-one combat, so I beat him up pretty good and threw him against a wall. I thought he was down for good after that, but he kicked me and ran for it. That’s when Chika here saved the day!” Hiro wraps both arms around Chika’s neck, and she climbs into his lap where all the guards lavish her with attention.

“She tackled him and kept him on the ground like I’ve trained her, and she tore into his arm so I could have time to get to him. The bastard burned her leg, so I picked him up. He wouldn’t tell me who sent him, so I tried choking him out, and that... didn’t go so well, as you can see.” Hiro gestures to his bandaged arm, wincing as he raises it to flex his stiff muscles.

“What happened? Keep going!” Ren eagerly leans forward, and Hiro laughs at how everyone hung onto his every word.

“Fine, fine. He had a knife hidden somewhere, and he slashed my arm with it, but I didn’t let go. He got one of his arms up and his hand burned my bicep, it’ll definitely leave a scar. I probably would’ve been a goner if it wasn’t for Koji; somehow, he managed to drag himself over with whatever life he had left and burn a hole clean through the assassin. I didn’t know he was a firebender, but obviously he apparently was. He saved my life, so I went to his Burning and gave my condolences to his family.” 

When people in the Fire Nation died, instead of being buried they received a Burning, where their body was set in a bonfire and they burned bright one last time before becoming one with the world. Of course, Koji wasn’t actually a firebender and didn’t save Hiro, but it was a good cover story and Hiro actually attended his Burning. Savior or not, he was still a good man and Hiro was sad to see him go.

The group of guards applaud lightly, and Hiro shakes his head in modesty. “You did the Fire Nation a great service, Hiro. A firebender working against his country is the highest offense of treason, and you and Koji did the right thing by ending him,” Ren pipes up. A few other guards murmur in agreement, but a couple avoid their gazes from Ren’s and choose instead to stare at the ground.

Hiro’s brow creases. “Well, I wish he could have answered for his crimes and gone to jail instead, but what happened happened. It’s a terrible thing to end another’s life, and although he tried to kill me and almost succeeded, he didn’t deserve to die just for not supporting the Fire Nation. Nobody does.”

“Nonsense!” Ren waves a hand in dismissal. “The Fire Nation is the best, we only make things better! Those who work against us deserve to-”

“What’s going on?” A raspy voice asks, and the group turns collectively to see a cloaked figure watching them, a Firebender mask obscuring their face.

“Li!” Hiro exclaims, glad to change the subject from whatever Ren was going to say. “I was just telling everyone about what happened with the assassin. Everyone, Li here will be sparring with us from time to time, so we should get started on that.” Hiro heaves himself to his feet, the other guards groaning as they grab their training weapons in the summer heat. He walks over to Zuko, stretching his legs as he falls into step next to the firebender.

“Did I come at a bad time?” Zuko asks, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. “I can come back later, if that would be better.”

“No, that was perfect timing! Ren is… much more patriotic than I thought, and things were just getting awkward. It’s nice to see you here, though. You have your swords?”

“Yeah.” Zuko pulls the blades and scabbards from his cloak, slinging them onto his back and drawing them in a single fluid motion. “Who’s going down first?”

Hiro chuckles, clapping his uninjured hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “Why don’t we have you face Ren? He’s quite eager to spar with you; to them, you’re a Fire Nation hero, after all.”

Zuko goes stiff under his touch, but Hiro is pleased to see that he doesn’t shake his hand off. “I’ll finish them quickly,” is all he says before he is pulled into the makeshift ring.

…

Needless to say, Zuko wipes the floor with them.

Hiro himself doesn’t fight, but just watches from the side, studying the fights critically. He marvels at how Zuko manages to slide from one move to the next without any pause; every swipe is one fluid motion, no pauses or hesitation. 

“Great fighting,” he praises Zuko as the fighting finishes. The prince flushes slightly beneath his mask, sheathing his swords back on his back.

“Thanks. I studied with dao blades under Master Piandao, and I’ve been training for years so I’d honestly be surprised if any of these recruits could beat me. Still, they put up a good fight.” 

As they talk, Ren jogs over to the pair. “Hey Hiro, some of the guards are going to go out to eat, do you want to come? It’ll be fun, we pooled our money for good food and booze!” He asks excitedly. 

“What do you think, Chika?” Hiro rubs her ears affectionately, and her tail thumps on the ground in response. “I think that’s a yes. Do you want to come too, Li?”

Zuko seems caught off guard. “I don’t know-”

“We would be honored to have a hero such as yourself with us, sir!” Ren exclaims, eyes practically shining in admiration. Hiro chuckles and thumps Zuko’s back good-naturedly. 

“C’mon Li, it’ll be fun. Plus, I can introduce you to a few more guards. What do you think?”

Zuko seems to mull it over for a second. “I guess it can’t hurt. Aren’t parties not allowed though?”

“Yeah, but nobody really minds if us guards have a night out every once in a while. We keep it off the record too, just in case.” Hiro winks, and Ren grins.

“Alright, I’m going to go catch up with the others, but I’ll see you there!” Ren jogs after the retreating guards ahead of them, leaving Hiro and Zuko alone for the time being.

“So, what did you think? How did it feel to get back into training?” Hiro asks, turning to face the masked firebender as they walk together.

“I was out of practice, but it felt good to start again. You were right, Ren does seem quite excitable when it comes to the Fire Nation, but everyone seems nice enough.”

“That’s good to hear.” Hiro pauses to wheeze into his one good elbow. Chika nuzzles against his side as his coughs subside, and he gives her a light pat on the head. A comfortable silence falls between them; Hiro marvels at how fast he’s grown to like the Fire Nation prince, despite his gruffness and lack of social cues. 

They eventually arrive at a small tavern at the edge of town. Most of the other shops and bars are already closed, as the moon has begun to rise above the horizon, but this tavern is still merrily lit. 

“After you, my prince,” Hiro jokes as he opens the wooden door and holds it for Zuko. The only response is a narrowing of eyes through the mask, and the prince breezes past and into the tavern.

Inside, several long tables stand with platters of food scattered across; mainly whatever the guards could scrounge up on such short notice, but more expensive pastries and meats dot the tables here and there. 

At the tables and on chairs strewn across the open space sit two dozen or so guards, Hiro estimates. Most clutch mugs of ale or are downing shots of firewhiskey, Hiro notes with distaste, and fires burning brightly in sconces on the walls give the gathering a rather merry mood.

Zuko stands uncomfortably at the door, rooted in place at the sight of the bustling party. Hiro grabs his arm and leads him into the fray, dodging the already-drunk guards and weaving around haphazardly strewn chairs. Chika follows closely at his heels, and the trio makes their way over to where Ren sits with a few other recruits.

“Hey Hiro, Li, glad you could make it!” Ren calls out above the din as they approach him, and Hiro flashes him a grin.

“Thanks, this is Li’s first night out, I’m going to show him what’s up,” Hiro yells back, having to shout to be heard over all the noise. Luckily the tavern is placed near the edge of Caldera City, so they won’t disturb anyone with their party.

Probably.

“So, what do you think?” Hiro tugs on Zuko’s arm to get his attention, and the prince snaps out of his stupor. 

“It’s… loud.” Is the only answer he gets, but it’s enough. Hiro nods in encouragement.

“You get used to it. Are you hungry?”

Before Zuko can respond, a voice from one of the larger crowds booms above the hubbub.

“It’s a long, long way to Ba Sing Se…”

The tavern goes silent.

“But the girls in the city, they look so pretty…” 

The rest of the large crowd picks up the song.

“And they kiss so sweet, that you really have to meet…”

“The girls from Ba SIng Se!” The entire room finishes, and laughter begins to boom again. Zuko gives Hiro a confused glance, so Hiro slings an arm across his shoulders and begins to sway in time with the rhythm. 

“It’s a long, long way to Ba Sing Se…” The female guards start again, and Hiro joins in chorus.

“But the boys in the town, you’ll never see ‘em frown…” 

A few other guards join in again, and Hiro gives Zuko a wide grin.

“And they’re just so strong, that you’d really get along…”

“With the boys from Ba Sing Se!” The whole room belts out again, and for a moment beneath the mask Hiro can see a genuine smile creep across Zuko’s face.

“Welcome to the guard, Zuko. You’re one of us now.” Hiro grins down at the prince, and Zuko doesn’t even seem to mind the slip of his name as he smiles back up. After all, the room is far too loud for anyone but them to hear each other.

Even if they did, Hiro wouldn’t care. Because in that moment, it’s just the two of them, smiling at each other as cheers erupt around them. 

Ren muscles his way over to them. “I’ve got to say, the Earth Kingdom has some great drinking songs. I’m glad we conquered them, they’re boosting morale!”

The smile slips off Zuko’s lips and Hiro’s grin fades. “What do you mean?” Zuko asks.

“Ba Sing Se is ours now, remember?” Hiro can see an ugly look in Zuko’s eyes through the eye holes, and it honestly surprises him.

Does Zuko… regret what happened to Ba Sing Se?

Interesting.

Shaking off the thoughts, Hiro grabs Zuko’s arm. “C’mon, let’s get some food. See you later, Ren.” Zuko doesn’t protest, just stumbles along Hiro and barely manages to avoid stepping on Chika’s tail. 

“Don’t look so sad, Mr. Fire Prince,” a smirk falls back onto Hiro’s face. “Just enjoy the party. Now, are you hungry?”

…

The two of them sing songs and stuff themselves on Fire Nation cuisine for what seems to be hours, as time just slips away and is replaced by the thumping of feet and cheering of voices.

Eventually, the heat of the room catches up to Hiro and his chest begins to feel ever so slightly tighter. The once-large rooms starts to seem cramped and overcrowded, and he takes a seat to hack into his sleeve again.

“What’s wrong?” Zuko asks curiously, and Hiro waves a hand in dismissal.

“It’s nothing, I just need some fresh air, that’s all.”

“Do you… do you want to go for a walk, then?” 

The question catches Hiro off guard. “Like… now? With you?”

The prince nods, confusion written on his face. Although at what, Hiro isn’t sure.

“Sure!” Hiro forces himself up and out of his chair, covering his mouth with one hand as he coughs into it. “We could get some tea too, to calm ourselves down.” Hiro looks Zuko up and down critically. It’s obvious that the prince is slightly intoxicated, and although Hiro himself wouldn’t drink he knew the signs. “Although, you may need it more than I do.”

They make their way to the exit, avoiding Ren’s wave goodbye as they do so. The faint chill of the night air is refreshing to Hiro after the stuffy party, and he gratefully sucks in air.

Hiro leads the way to the same tea shop where they’d gotten tea a few nights prior, and they buy cheap mugs of tea to take with them. 

“So, where do you want to go?” Zuko asks, and Hiro shrugs as he sips his tea.

“I’m not sure. There’s a nice rooftop I know of we could sit on, or there’s a turtleduck pond I know of near here. Any preference?”

Zuko visibly perks up. “The pond sounds good to me. I used to feed the turtleducks in the palace, before…” He trails off, and Hiro flashes a comforting smile.

“Well, I’m sure these turtleducks will love to be fed, too. I swiped a bread roll from the party in case we got hungry, so we can give them that,” Hiro offers, and Zuko’s frown begins to fade. 

“I’d like that.” 

They walk in mostly silence until they reach the pond, with the exception of Chika’s whines for attention. Hiro ends up carrying her for the last stretch of the walk, as her once-eager trot turns into an unsteady limp.

When they reach the turtleduck pond, Hiro sits with his back against a tree with Chika in his lap, and Zuko sets himself down next to him after removing his helmet.

“Here, we can each feed them half of the roll.” Hiro breaks the bread in half, handing one part over to Zuko before breaking his half up further. The turtleducks, ever eager for an easy meal, swarm around them and Chika growls.

“Chika, no. She gets excited around them, probably an old hunting instinct. She won’t hurt them, though.” Hiro gives her an affectionate shell rub, and Zuko tosses a chunk of bread out into the water.

“I noticed you looked pretty bad at the end of the party.” 

Hiro looks at Zuko in a mixture of confusion and slight hurt. 

“No, I mean- not bad, but- ugh, why am I so terrible at this?” Zuko buries his head in his hands in exasperation, and Hiro chuckles. 

“No, it’s fine, I get it. I inhaled a lot of coal dust in the mines, and it’s left a mark. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I cough a lot, but there’s not much that healers can do to help.” Hiro takes another sip of tea, and Zuko nods.

“That’s rough, buddy.” Hiro snorts his tea, and the atmosphere becomes comfortable once more.

“So, how’s life in the palace been? Are you glad to be back?” Hiro asks, idly tossing more breadcrumbs out to the turtleducks.

Zuko hesitates. “It’s… different than what I expected. Everyone expects me to be a snotty brat because that’s who I was when I left, but I’ve changed. I’ve seen things, some that I wish I hadn’t, and honestly I’m not sure what to think.”

Hiro hums in thought. “Take some time to just sort it all out. In my experience, it’s always good to mull it over and give it time.”

“I’m going to Ember Island for a few days, my father wants to meet with his advisors alone. It’ll be a waste of time, but maybe it might help.”

“Relaxing is never a waste of time. It’s important to take care of yourself, and sometimes all you need is a beach and friends. I’ll make sure Iroh is safe while you’re gone.”

They lapse again into silence, and the turtleducks quack hungrily for more bread. Hiro tosses the last bits of his half, and they gobble it up eagerly before swarming Zuko for the rest of his. 

Hiro realizes his knee is grazing Zuko’s, but he finds that he doesn’t mind. And from how Zuko seems to be the most relaxed he’s ever seen him, he probably doesn’t mind either.

The comfortable silence is shattered by a bark as Chika leaps to her feet, scattering the turtleducks as she joyously chases them in circles. 

“Chika!” Hiro yells and jumps to his feet as she leaps into the pond, swimming after the fleeing turtleducks. Hiro leaps in after her, the water only reaching knee-deep, and frantically splashes his way over to her. Zuko follows close behind, and they both grab Chika’s collar at the same time. 

Hiro stifles a laugh as the prince of the Fire Nation, now sopping wet and disgruntled, gives him a sore look. Their eyes meet and Zuko’s frown softens, for once more it’s like everything else is gone and it’s just them standing together in the pond.

Then Chika barks and the moment is gone, but a warm feeling remains in Hiro’s chest. Zuko coughs awkwardly and looks away, while Hiro busies himself by picking up Chika and clasping her to his chest. 

“Sorry about your clothes, Prince Zuko.” Zuko’s royal cloak, once pristine and clean silk, now soggily droops with mud and water.

“It’s fine, I’ll just say I was practicing my firebending in a pond. My father won’t care, if he thinks I’m training.”

“That’s good.” Silence stretches between them once more. “Well, I should probably take Chika home. Thanks for the tea and the conversation, though. I hope you enjoy your time on Ember Island!” 

Zuko smiles ever so slightly. “I’ll try, but knowing Azula that won’t happen. Good night, Hiro.”

“Good night, Prince Zuko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait! I wanted to make the chapter as good as possible, and the last half was written while fueled on caffeine so let me know if anything seems off. I made the second verse to 'The Girls From Ba Sing Se' myself, let me know what you think of it. I hope you enjoyed, leave a comment if you'd like! Thanks for reading :)


	5. Ember Island

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

Hiro straightens himself in his chair as the sound of shoes clacking against tile reaches his ears. He looks up, a smile on his face, ready to greet whoever had decided to stop by the Fire Nation jail.

“Hello, how may I help-” Hiro freezes and stops mid-sentence as his eyes lock onto the person before him.

Because _Fire Lord Ozai is right there _.__

____

____

“M-my lord, I-”

“Am I correct to assume that you are the one who fought off the assassin?” The Fire Lord asks, his voice like oil in Hiro’s ears. Hiro looks up in confusion, caught off guard by the question.

“Uh, yes! Yes, that was me. My name is Hiro, my armadillo-dog and I fended off the assassin with the help of Koji, who the assassin killed.”

Fire Lord Ozai nods, his expression inscrutable. “The Fire Nation commends you for your service. I read your record, and you were placed in the mines for three years, correct?”

“Yes, sir. I was young and unruly, and the coal mines sorted me out.” Hiro lies through his teeth, but the Fire Lord seems pleased with his response.

“Good, you have learned respect through harsh discipline. That is good, admirable even. Now, where is my brother? I was told the assassin was here for him, and I think it is time that we had a talk.” 

Hiro’s brain short-circuits. “G-General Iroh? You, uh, you can’t see him!” 

There is silence for a moment in the office.

 _What is wrong with me?!_ Hiro mentally berates himself, trying to wrest control of his tongue back from whatever had possessed him.

“Oh?” The Fire Lord places both hands on the desk and leans in, staring directly into Hiro’s eyes with a suspicious gaze. “And pray tell, why can I not see my brother?”

“He’s… he’s insane! He won’t speak, he eats like an animal, and he acts deranged!” Hiro lies, finally getting control of himself back.

Fire Lord Ozai leans back in thought. “Prison and betrayal seem to have finally broken my brother’s indomitable will. I will have to see for myself, of course. Take me there at once.” 

Hiro stands from his chair. “Of course, my lord!” Gears turning in his head, Hiro hefts his spear up and begins to march along the path to Iroh’s cell, the Fire Lord and his entourage following closely behind. 

The walk is not long, and Hiro is before the sturdy steel door in no time. With one hand he wrenches the door open, holding it open for the Fire Lord to pass through. 

At the same time he shouts, “See for yourself! General Iroh is insane, he’s like an animal!” The small crowd of guards shuffle into the room with the Fire Lord, and Hiro follows suit once everyone has entered. 

In the cell sits Iroh, but he seems so much smaller. Curled in a corner, the once-great Fire Nation general looks gaunt, his rag clothes hanging loosely from his skinny frame. His eyes, dull and sparkless, dart wildly across the room at the empty air of his cell, but at what the guards can only guess. 

Hiro quietly gives a sigh of relief, for the general must have heard his shout and acted. He grits his teeth before speaking, for to truly sell the act, more must be said.

“He doesn’t even respond to taunts. Look; imagine how everyone who knew you and loved you must feel now, seeing you broken like this,” Hiro jeers, and though Iroh doesn’t react, a stab of pain hits his heart as the words leave his mouth.

“Hm.” Is all the Fire Lord says, walking back and forth across the room to inspect Iroh and the cell. “Guard, what is the cell made of?”

Hiro snaps to attention, coughing to hide his surprise. “Sozium, sir. It absorbs heat over time and makes it harder for firebenders to focus on a flame; it’s standard procedure for firebender cells.”

“This is satisfactory.” Fire Lord Ozai turns to face Hiro once more, his golden eyes glittering with malice. “Inform the workers here that any change in his behavior will require a report directly to me.”

Hiro nods. “I will do that, sir.”

“One more thing.” Hiro freezes, halfway out the doorway. 

“Yes, Fire Lord?”

“My son and daughter require a guard during their stay at Ember Island while I host an important meeting. You will report to the Caldera docks at sunrise to escort Prince Zuko and Princess Azula. Refusal to comply will result in termination of your job here. Am I clear?”

Hiro’s mind reels. “Crystal, my lord,” he manages to rasp out, and bows quickly before leaving the room and the man with fire in his eyes far behind. He hauls himself back to his desk, dumbstruck, where Chika waits patiently for him.

“Chika? I think we just got sent on vacation,” he whispers into her scruff as he pulls her close into his lap. 

Hiro did _not_ expect this to happen when he walked into work that evening.

…

He is at the dock long before the others arrive, when the sun just begins to stretch its orange fingers across the horizon.

With him he carries a small bag, a traditional swimming suit, towel, and basic beach supplies within. It also holds a set of civilian clothes, as wearing a full guard kit in the hot sun would become problematic. A new spear, freshly sharpened, stands to attention in his grip, and a thick-bladed dagger sits strapped to his side.

After the fight with the assassin, Hiro can’t be too cautious anymore, not even on vacation.

Chika sits dutifully at his side, and he gives her an idle scratch on the head. He would feel safer with her there, and any assassins would have to face the wrath of an angry armadillo-dog before getting near any of his charges.

Let them come, he thinks, and we’ll see how they like losing a few fingers.

He waits in the slowly wakening world, listening to the gentle rasp of waves along the shore. Here in Caldera the air is ever so noticeably thick with smog, a result of the rapidly industrialization required to keep the Fire Nation on top of the war. All of the big inventions start here; tanks, the infamous Drill, even prosthetic limbs for the wealthy. Although he’d heard that the new airships had been developed in an Air Temple of all places, so his knowledge might be faulty. 

The air in Caldera doesn’t help his chest; at the end of the days he finds himself struggling to breathe more and hacking up more phlegm. Hopefully the beach will help him breathe again, he reasons.

It’s not long before the first of his charges shows up; a bouncy, bright-eyed girl that he’s never seen before.

“Hello! Who are you?” She calls out as she does a cartwheel- expertly so, Hiro notes- onto the docks and next to him. Hiro gives her a small smile.

“My name is Hiro, I’ve been assigned to make sure that you all stay safe on your trip. And who are you?”

“Oh! I’m Ty Lee, it’s nice to meet you!” She bats half-lidded eyes at him, but Hiro only turns to face their ship.

“Well, Ty Lee, feel free to put your things on the boat and get settled in. I’m sure your friends will be here soon.” He shuffles to scan the docks again, looking for any new figures, but Ty Lee pipes up again.

“Could you help me get my stuff on the boat? I’d really appreciate it!” She wheedles, but Hiro shakes his head.

“I’m sorry, but I have to keep watch for the rest of the group. I’m sure they won’t mind helping once they show up, though,” he offers, and something that looks strangely like surprise flashes across the ponytailed girl’s face. 

“Oh. Okay!” A smile shines back on, like someone flicked a switch on again, and she flounces off onto the boat. 

Zuko sure keeps strange company, he thinks to himself as he focuses again at the task on hand. Though that includes me too, so I shouldn’t be talking.

The dock isn’t quiet for long; soon enough, the Fire Princess herself strides onto the dock from the morning mist, and Hiro straightens himself formally, for every guard knows of the Fire Princess and her cruelty.

“Hm.” Is all she says, and Hiro is instantly reminded of the Fire Lord in the curl of her lip. “I was not informed that there I, one of the most powerful firebenders in the Fire Nation, would require an escort.”

Hiro gives her a tight smile. “My orders come directly from the Fire Lord. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, for the time being.”

The Princess snorts, and Hiro sees the contempt in her eyes. “Very well. We will leave as soon as my brother and Mai arrive, I do not wish to dawdle.” And with a wrinkle of her nose as she glances at Chika, the Fire Princess steps onto the boat, the world seeming so much warmer once she leaves.

Hiro shivers, for many a guard’s career had not survived the wrath of the Fire Princess. Luckily, she had not dared to disobey her father, so Hiro is safe. For now, at least.

Lastly, Zuko and the other girl- Mai, the Princess had called her?- arrive, Zuko’s arm slung over her shoulders. Hiro bows his head as they approach, and he sees surprise flicker in Zuko’s eyes.

“Good morning, Prince Zuko. I have been assigned by the Fire Lord to escort you on your vacation to Ember Island.” Hiro gives a brief wink at Zuko, and smiles politely at Mai.

“Oh… I-I mean, of course! This is… acceptable.” Zuko stammers out, and Mai gives him a confused glance. No wonder; from what Hiro’s heard and seen, ever since Zuko returned from banishment he’s been a bit of a jerk. 

Hiro’s had the fortune to see beyond that, to see Zuko instead of The Prince, to see those gentle moments at the turtleduck pond and at the tea shop. 

Of course, he’s also seen the angry side of the prince after meetings with Iroh, and he knew that deep down, Zuko was figuring what to do with himself. 

Hiro had felt it too; after being released from the mines, it took him a couple of months to decide what he actually wanted to do with his life. For so long it had been just ‘get to the next day’, but then his horizons broadened and he had had no idea what to do.

“Whatever, let’s just get going.” Mai sighs, and drags Zuko onto the ship with her. Hiro follows behind them, signaling to the ship’s captain to begin the journey.

The ship is rather spacious; they have space to move about and gaze off into the water, and their bags lie in a heap on one corner of the deck. Hiro adds his bag, noting the size difference between Ty Lee’s bright pink beach bag and his soft grey utility bag. Maybe he’d just underpacked?

Then he notices Zuko’s bag, about the same size as his. Nope, girls just overpack.

They’re unlikely to be attacked on a ship in Fire Nation waters, so Hiro just sits on a stool and watches the shores of Caldera fade into the distance. He locks eyes with Zuko briefly, but the prince shakes his head. The message is clear; not right now.

The cheerful girl, Ty Lee, walks on her hands over to him, plopping down onto a stool beside him. Chika eagerly snuffles at her palms as she walks on them, and the girl giggles.

“I like your armadillo-dog,” she remarks, and Hiro grins.

“Her name is Chika, she’s my guard dog. She’ll be making sure that you all stay safe, along with me of course.” Hiro tosses her a strip of meat from his pouch, and she snaps it up out of the air. 

“That’s so cool!” Ty Lee exclaims, leaning down to pat Chika’s head with one hand. “I love animals. Haven’t seen any since I left the circus, though.”

“You were in the circus? That’s pretty cool, I haven’t been to any but they seem interesting enough.” Hiro is pleased by the idle conversation; while Ember Island isn’t far from the mainland, staring at the water for twenty minutes would get boring quickly. 

They chat until the beaches of Ember Island come into view, and Hiro stands and stretches, almost sending Ty Lee tumbling to the floor. For some reason she’d kept scooching closer to him until she nearly sat in his lap, and while Hiro doesn’t mind the human contact, he didn’t really know her… at all.

Hiro stands on the prow of the ship and breathes. He’d taken breathing for granted so many years ago, but here in the fresh ocean air it’s like the tightness in his chest vanishes for a moment.

“Welcome to Ember Island, kids.” A few old ladies, whom Hiro recognizes as advisors to the Fire Princess, beckon to them as the ship pulls into the docks.

Hiro gets his first look at where they would be staying for the night, and it’s certainly… quaint? Yeah, quaint.

“I should go first, and inspect the dwelling.” Hiro moves, briskly crossing the plank connecting the dock and boat, and begins the trek to the house. Behind him he can hear the others following, at aslower pace.

The inside of the cottage is as flattering as the outside; that’s to say, not flattering at all. Everything is pink and vaguely beach-themed, from the seashell bedspreads to the smooth stones and shellson the table. The others crowd in behind him once he’s finished the preliminary sweep, and there’s only one problem…

“There’s only five beds,” Zuko deadpans. It’s a miracle that five beds even fit in the small space in the first place, and seven would definitely not fit.

“Dibs!” The three girls call at the same time, and Hiro rolls his eyes at Zuko.

_Girls._

“I wouldn’t want to make our hosts sleep outside, so Prince Zuko and I can sleep by the fire with my armadillo-dog,” Hiro offers. “I’ve slept in worse places.”

Zuko huffs. “Fine.” He says in a short, clipped tone, but the two old ladies bow in thanks.

“Such a gentleman,” they say at the same time.

Hiro laughs, but it ends up turning into a coughing fit halfway through, and the Fire Princess eyes him with distaste. 

It seemed that no matter where he went, there was no escaping the tightness in his chest.

…

The beach is warm, warmer than anywhere in Caldera. Even though he’s meant to be on duty, Hiro finds himself relaxing into the blissful summer heat as he sits cross-legged on a hill of sand.

He’s ditched the full-body armor for just a pair of black swimming trunks and a dark red Fire Nation tank top, a wise move in the sweltering sun.

He keeps the long knife strapped to his side, though; he wouldn’t be caught off guard, for if anything happened to his charges, the Fire Lord would have his head on a spike. Literally.

“Hey Hiro, could you help fan me? It’s getting so hot out…” Ty Lee calls sweetly to him, and Hiro glances over to where a small gathering of guys have crowded around her, fanning her with large leaves and fetching her drinks.

“Sorry Ty Lee, but I have to keep an eye out for trouble. If I was fanning you and something happened, I wouldn’t be able to get there quick enough.” Hiro declines the offer, and Ty Lee’s face falls for a moment. 

“Oh. Okay, that’s fine!” The smile flashes back on, just like before, but Hiro can’t help but think that he hurt her feelings in some way.

He turns his gaze to Zuko and Mai, where they sit together under the shade of an umbrella. Hiro is happy that Zuko found someone that likes him for who he is, but at the same time, he feels…

Hiro squashes that thought. That kind of thinking would only complicate his job right now, and he can obviously see that Zuko’s in a very delicate stage of his life right now. The way things were, he would only make things worse.

Although, in the future…

“Hey, beach bums! We’re playing next,” the Fire Princess calls out to them, gesturing at the kuai ball net. Hiro stands and stretches, as the rest of their group stands and walks over to a huddle. Hiro joins them, and Ty Lee and Zuko make room for him. Chika trots over to sit at their feet, in the center of the huddle.

“Alright, so here’s the plan. See that girl with the silly pigtails? When she runs toward the ball, there’s the slightest hesitation on her left foot, most likely a childhood injury. Keep serving to her left side, and we’ll crush her and her team!” The team nods, and Hiro looks at the Fire Princess with newfound respect. To learn that about someone by just looking at them… that kind of perception is both terrifying and admirable.

They split up into the standard five person kuai ball positions, with the server in the back and the other four forming a square closer to the net. The other team eyes them warily, and Hiro grins at them competitively.

The game begins, and Hiro learns just how talented his charges are.

Ty Lee does flips and lands perfectly on the net like it’s child’s play; she’s by far the most dexterous person Hiro knows. The way she moves is almost like her body is rubber or boneless, as if she doesn’t even obey the laws of physics.

The Fire Princess expends no more energy than she needs; every move is perfectly calculated to provide the maximum force with the minimum effort. One spike flows easily into a kick, and Hiro marvels at her insane reaction time.

Mai smacks the ball exactly on the edge of the court every time she hits it; her aim is impeccable, and the way the ball slams into the sand is proof enough of her strength. Hiro begins to see why Zuko likes her so much.

And Zuko… Zuko is power and ferocity, with every strike sending the ball soaring across the court at speeds hard to track with the human eye. He is uncontrolled and dangerous, sure, but the way he moves is like fire itself.

Hiro fares rather well, too. He uses his rather toned arms strength to spike the ball into dangerous arcs, and more than once the other team’s players have to throw themselves to the ground in order to avoid being struck by what would feel like a cannonball.

In no time the match is finished; assisted by Zuko, the Fire Princess spikes the ball so hard that the ball literally implodes, leaving a smoldering crater in the ground and setting the net ablaze.

“Yes! We have defeated you for all eternity! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame!” The Princess cackles, and the onlookers gape at her.

Hiro scratches his neck. “It’s just a game, but okay. Whatever makes you happy.”

Three teenagers walk over to them, looking impressed. “We’re having a party tonight, you should come by,” one of the boys says to Ty Lee and Mai. Hiro steps forward.

“Nobody’s going anywhere without me, so I’m afraid I’ll have to tag along too.” He stares down the boy, but one of the others speaks up.

“Sure man, of course! You looked pretty sick doing all those moves. I’m Yu Shan, nice to meet you.” The guy holds out his hand, and Hiro shakes it good-naturedly. 

“I’m Hiro, nice to meet you too!”

Yu Shan is the epitome of a ‘beach boy’; shaggy hair, tan, an unagi tooth necklace on his neck. He smiles at Hiro with a brilliant flash of white teeth and golden eyes, and Hiro can’t help but grin back.

“Actually, you all can come! Just don’t be rowdy; some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation will be there.” Yu Shan says, and the first boy, Chan, just shrugs.

Does he not know who he’s talking to? “Actually-” Hiro starts.

“We’ll do our best.” The Fire Princess smirks, and Hiro looks at her askance. The trio walks off, and the crowd around them begins to disperse. Once the area has cleared, the Princess turns on Hiro.

“I don’t remember asking you to come,” she snarks, and Hiro huffs.

“My orders are to make sure that you all are safe, and I can’t do that if I’m not with you. Now, I don’t see any harm in going to a party, but anything could happen.”

The Princess mulls it over, then whirls around to leave. “Fine. But don’t stay too close to us during the party, or else I’ll report you to Father.”

Hiro laughs. “Yes, ma’am.” He goes to sit down and calm the inevitable discomfort in his lungs from the strenuous exercise, but for some reason it never comes.

Maybe Ember Island was magical, after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter came a little later than usual, but I originally wanted to make it and the next chapter into one, but I decided that it would be too long and decided to break it up. I have the next chapter fleshed out, I just need to actually write it. Not a lot of Hiro-Zuko interaction this chapter, but next chapter is where it really gets interesting :)
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think! I really enjoy every review, and I'd like to know if there's any improvements I could make in my writing. Thanks for reading :)


	6. Of Fires and Paddleboards

They set out for the party the moment that the first light of dawn touches the dark sky.

Hiro leads the way; he’s the most awake, being used to the near constant night shifts of guard duty. Chika stays at the cottage, with Lo and Li. The others, with the exception of Zuko, managed to sneak in a few hours of sleep, but most are still groggy. 

They’ve ditched their beach clothes for slightly more formal party attire; Hiro changed his tank top and swimming shorts for a traditional Fire Nation tunic and baggy pants, loose enough to hide his thick-bladed dagger in.

Again, even at a party anything could happen.

When they arrive, Chan greets them at the door. He seems surprised to see them arrive so early, but nevertheless lets them in without a hassle.

“Alright everyone, don’t do anything rash and let me know if anyone’s bothering you,” Hiro advises before everyone splits off into the slowly gathering party. Mai rolls her eyes at him.

“Whatever, Dad.” She remarks, before leaving with Zuko to sit down on a bench.

Ouch. Was he really being that overprotective?

Oh well, better safe than sorry. His job, and more likely his life, was resting on their well-being.

From a table loaded with an assortment of Fire Nation beach food, Hiro sees Yu Shan wave to him. He strides over, and the other teen gives him another white-toothed grin.

“Hey Hiro, glad you could make it!” Yu Shan holds his hand out for a fist bump, which Hiro bumps after a moment.

“Of course! Seems like a fun party, I wouldn’t want to miss it.” Hiro grabs a glass from a row of refreshments, and takes a small sip. Fruity, likely a tropical cocktail of some kind.

More people begin to fill the large room, and the air fills with the sounds of laughter and cheer. It seems they made a good choice for when to show up, even though they were a bit on the early side.

“So, what brings you to Ember Island?” Yu Shan asks, and Hiro considers telling him the truth for a moment.

“I’m on vacation,” he says at last. Technically part of the truth, enough that he doesn’t feel bad. 

“Oh? Got any rich parents? Most people here do, Ember Island isn’t exactly cheap,” Yu Shan teases, and Hiro drains his glass.

“Nope, but I’m here on behalf of a very powerful man. Maybe I’ll tell you about it later,” Hiro offers. It surely can’t hurt to tell him about what he was sent to do; after all, Yu Shan seems so nice, and someone with that smile couldn’t mean any harm.

“Sounds like quite the story. How about this; if you tell me all about it in a bit, I’ll take you out paddleboarding after! I’ve got a spare board, and the waves are perfect tonight.” Hiro blushes slightly at the offer, and grabs another drink to mask his embarrassment. 

“Sounds like a deal to me.” They shake hands, and Hiro gets another eyeful of that wide, toothy grin.

Hiro furiously tries to ignore the fact that he might’ve just been asked on a date.

“Anyways man, I’ll catch you later. Chan wanted me to show a few of his friends around the house, but whenever you feel like telling that story just holler.” Yu Shan winks and jaunts off into the crowd. Hiro smiles into his glass, before turning his gaze back to his charges.

Mai and Zuko just sit together on a bench, neither looking like they’re having a good time. Azula just watches everything from the center of the room, and Ty Lee…

Ty Lee is surrounded by seven or so guys, all of them obviously in love. As Hiro watches, the ponytailed girl lashes out with a flurry of blows, catching each of them and making them all collapse onto the ground in a heap.

That girl never ceases to surprise Hiro.

Ty Lee bounces over to Azula, where they begin to talk. Hiro moves his gaze around the room, and ends up back at Zuko and Mai. Zuko looks… angry? Yeah, angry, and Mai’s expression is the usual apathy. 

Maybe he’d go cheer Zuko up later?

As he mulls the thought over in his head, coughing idly into his tunic’s sleeve, Ty Lee flounces up behind him and lays a hand on his shoulder.

“Heya, Hiro! How’s the party going?” She asks, batting her doe-like eyes at him again.

“It’s been fun so far. I noticed you had a lot of guys talking to you, if they’re bothering you just let me know! You should be having fun, not worrying about guys being weird.”

Ty Lee smiles up at him. “It’s no problem! Guys do that kind of thing a lot, I’m used to it by now.”

“Still, if anyone bothers you just tell me and I’ll sort ‘em out.” Hiro cracks his knuckles threateningly, and Ty Lee giggles and lays her head on his shoulder.

“Hey Hiro?”

“Yes, Ty Lee?”

“This is kind of an odd question, but do you… do you like me?” She ducks her head nervously as she asks.

Hiro considers the question. “Not in a romantic way, no.”

“...oh.” Ty Lee looks up at him again, and Hiro frowns at the way her eyes water and her lip trembles. “D-Did I do something wrong? Am I not pretty enough? Usually guys are all over me, but you don’t seem to like me like that. Why not”

“Oh, Ty Lee.” Hiro wraps an arm around her and looks her in the eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with you at all. To be honest, I think you’re very pretty, but I don’t really like girls like that, if you catch my drift.” Understanding flashes in Ty Lee’s eyes, and her mood shifts abruptly.

“Ohh! Why didn’t you just say so? This whole time I was trying so hard to get you to like me but I could’ve been talking to you about cute guys!” Her entire demeanor changes, and Hiro laughs nervously. 

“Haha, yeah, but keep your voice down, okay? Not many people know right now, and I don’t really want the word getting out.”

Ty Lee nods respectfully. “That’s fine! Can I still talk to you about guys though? Azula’s clueless and Mai doesn’t have any drive, so I’ve never really gotten to talk to anyone about all that.”

Hiro laughs again. “Sure, Ty Lee. I’d be happy to. I’m not very experienced with relationships, but I’ll do what I can.”

“So, has anyone at the party caught your eye? All the guys here keep hitting on me, but none of them really want me for, you know, me.”

“Well…” Hiro scratches his neck nervously. “I was talking to this guy, Yu Shan, earlier. And he might’ve… asked me on a date?”

Ty Lee gasps. “Hiro, that’s great! What did he say?”

“Well, he asked me if I wanted to go paddleboarding with him later, so I don’t really know if it’s a date or not, but he seemed pretty interested. I probably shouldn’t be going off without you all though, so I don’t know…”

Ty Lee shakes her head fervently. “That’s silly, of course you should go! I’ll keep an eye on everyone, don’t you worry.”

Hiro places a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Ty Lee. You’re a great person, and those guys need to see beyond just your looks.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” She tries to dismiss the compliment, but Hiro can see that she’s pleased. “Which one is this mysterious guy you like?”

Hiro glances around the room, and points at Yu Shan, who’s just finished giving a few partygoers a tour of the house. “The tan guy, shaggy hair, unagi necklace.” Yu Shan sees them looking and waves.

“Oh, he’s cute! Go talk to him, good luck!” Ty Lee gives him a little shove toward where Yu Shan watches, and Hiro gives her one last smile of thanks before making his way over.

“So, is that your girlfriend?” Yu Shan asks as he approaches, his smile fading slightly.

“Nope, I’m as single as can be. She’s part of the reason I’m here, though.” Hiro gives the surfer teen a smirk, and is rewarded with another bright smile.

“Ah, the infamous story at last? Can’t wait to hear it.” Mirth glitters in Yu Shan’s eyes, and Hiro can’t help but start talking.

“Okay, so you see that guy over there, with the sullen-looking girl?” He points at Zuko, and Yu Shan nods in confusion. “Well, believe it or not, but that’s the Fire Prince. He’s here with his sister and their friends, and I’m here to guard them.”

Yu Shan backs up, looking startled. “Whoa, man. You’re a guard? Is this some sort of sting operation to catch partygoers or a drug bust?”

Hiro shakes his head quickly, but the damage is done. “No, no, they’re just here to relax, nothing like that.

But Yu Shan’s eyes no longer sparkle, and glint with distrust instead. “Whatever, man. I’m not looking to get involved with the Fire Lord, or Prince, or whoever. I’ve heard the stories, and I don’t want to end up on the streets or in jail. Start with that information next time, dude!” 

And then Yu Shan is gone, swallowed up into an ever-increasing crowd.

Hiro puts his head in his hands. How could I have been so stupid? Of course he’d be weirded out by royalty showing up his party, and me not even telling him who I was.

He feels a comforting hand on his back, and Ty Lee’s warmth as she gives him a hug from behind.

“Hey, it’s okay. He doesn’t deserve someone as awesome as you, anyway.” She soothes, and Hiro forces a smile onto his face.

“Thanks, Ty Lee, but I think I’m going to get some fresh air. Make sure everyone’s safe, okay?”

“Of course, bud.” She smiles sadly at him, and Hiro gives her one last quick hug before muscling his way through the crowd and out the door.

The night air is cool and refreshing to his lungs, but Hiro’s chest feels tight in a different way.

…

Hiro sits and stares at the ocean for what seems like hours, though he knows it hasn’t been long. 

The party behind him erupts in sound for a few moments, but he barely pays any notice. He just stares, stony-faced, into the darkness of the sea before him.

After a minute, as if he’s a million miles away he faintly hears the crunching of sand beneath feet and the huff of angry breath. Hiro turns his head, and for some reason he finds Zuko marching away from the party.

Hiro heaves himself to his feet, ignoring the ache in his back and inside of himself, for he has a duty to uphold.

He marches forward, keeping his distance but not letting the prince get out of sight. Obviously Zuko is mad at something, and Hiro gets the feeling that stopping him would only make it worse.

At one point a group of people pass by Zuko, and Hiro’s hand strays to the handle of his dagger- just in case, he tells himself- but they pass by without issue, making their way to the party. 

Zuko’s path takes them around the island, nearly to the other side, where a very large house waits for them. The signs warning of a terrible death for anyone trespassing on the Fire Lord’s property don’t seem to faze Zuko, and Hiro swallows his discomfort as he follows.

Surely Fire Lord Ozai wouldn’t care if he was breaking the rules to follow his son, right?

Right?

Nevertheless, Hiro trails behind Zuko, following him up the steps. His stealth skills aren’t exactly legendary, so has no idea if the prince knows that he’s there, but Zuko shows no indication either way. 

Hiro follows his prince over sand and surf; over stone and stair; and finally, over carpet and floor.

Zuko stops his march at a small table on the house’s second floor, where Hiro can see a rather impressive portrait of the Fire Lord, a young Zuko and Azula, and presumably the Fire Lady.

Hiro waits in silence as Zuko just stares at the portrait; a minute or so passes, and he decides to make his presence known.

He attempts to clear his throat politely, but it turns into a small coughing fit. Zuko whirls around, hands up and ready to blast any intruder into oblivion, but they fall slack at the sight of him.

“Hiro?” He asks hoarsely, and Hiro bows his head.

“I thought you might want some company… that, and I’m not supposed to let you wander off. Your safety is my concern, after all.”

Zuko bristles. “There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m perfectly fine.”

Hiro gives him a long, searching look, and after a moment Zuko drops his gaze.

Zuko turns his head away, his brow creased in anger, and for a moment all Hiro can see is the sharp angles and harsh eyes of the person he knows as The Prince. The silence stretches on, and Hiro begins to fear that it will never break.

And then Zuko is back, with sagging shoulders, and he speaks.

“The last time I was here, I was a snot-nosed brat who thought the Fire Nation had the solution to everything, and we were just sharing our greatness with the world. Now…” He trails off, and Hiro grabs his arm.

“And what do you think now, Prince Zuko?” He asks, eyes searching for an answer in Zuko’s own.

“I… I don’t know!” Zuko shouts, the sound echoing in the empty mansion’s halls. “I’m not sure what I think. Just drop it, Hiro.”

Hiro frowns, but relents. He instead turns his gaze to the table, where a small clay slab bears a tiny handprint. “Zuko, was this you?” He asks, lifting it up into his hands delicately.

Zuko’s furrowed brow relaxes a little. “Yeah. That was so long ago though, it’s like I’m a different person.” He reaches out with one hand and places it over the handprint, and Hiro places his hand over Zuko’s.

“Someday, once everything’s over, I’m going to take you back here, and we’re going to make a new handprint for you. You’re just at a different stage of your life, and that should be celebrated, not sulked over. Okay?” Hiro gives the prince a little smile, and the hand beneath his burns with warmth.

Zuko’s frown doesn’t let up, but as he nods something in his eyes softens, and if Hiro were to die right now he would be perfectly okay with it. Because here in this house of stone and memory, as an ever-so-dim light shines in the Fire Prince’s eyes, Hiro is happy.

“Ahem.” 

The moment breaks and Hiro steps back quickly, startled, as the Fire Princess stands in the doorway.

“A-Azula? What are you doing here?” Zuko asks, and Hiro bows quickly to her.

“I thought I’d find you here, but I didn’t expect Father’s lapdog to be here too.” She gives Hiro an appraising look, and he salutes in traditional Fire Nation style.

“My orders are to keep you all safe, and if one of you decides to wander off, they’re likely to be in the most danger.” He replies, and she grunts in dismissal.

“Anyway, come down to the beach, we’re going to make a fire.” The Fire Princess turns and slinks away, and Hiro shudders before following.

…

They burn items from the house as firewood, and as the face of Fire Lord Ozai smolders and turns to ash Hiro feels no sorrow for it.

When young Zuko’s corner of the portrait burns, though, he doesn’t miss the trace of anguish on the prince’s face.

Zuko sits himself next to Mai on an earthen bench, and Hiro sets himself down next to Ty Lee, who gives him a wide grin.

As the world around him quickly dissolves into shouting and chaos, Hiro just silently listens and stares into the flickering fire. The conversation’s subject changes as quick as a hare-rat; from Zuko, to Ty Lee, to Mai. The voices swirl like an inferno around him, and he finds himself lost in the light of the still-burning fire.

“Leave me alone!”

Hiro is broken out of his stupor by Mai, who’s stood up and shouted at Azula.

“Hey, hey, everyone. No need to scream at each other, we can work this out like adul- er, reasonable people.” He stands, ushering Mai back into her seat, but she resists.

“That’s easy for you to say, you don’t even know us!” She retorts. “I bet you’ve never even dirtied your hands, being the Fire Lord’s loyal lapdog.”

“Hey lady, I worked in the coal mines for three years, I know hardship.” He bristles, feeling the slow onset of anger take over. He forces it down, but it simmers deep beneath the surface of his mind like lava bubbling in the cracks of the earth.

“You were a criminal? I had no idea Father would send someone so dangerous to watch over us.” The Fire Princess remarks, and Hiro turns on her.

“Actually, he seemed to think highly of me for it for whatever reason. And yes, I was a criminal! What kid wouldn’t be, alone in the Fire Nation slums with a dead mother and a dad in jail? This country has no respect for anyone but the elites, and once you get on the streets you won’t get out.”

“Whatever.” The Fire Princess says, and even though Hiro knows she’s just riling him up he can’t help but draw himself taller. “It’s a shame how they let people like you out of the mines after so little time. Once a thief, always a thief, I say-”

“ _Shut up!_ ” Hiro snarls, and the pulse of anger runs deep in his blood. He draws one fist back, ready to do _something_ , but then he catches the look on Ty Lee’s face.

She’s… scared of him.

Hiro wilts and sits down heavily, putting his head in his hands. He closes his eyes, running through a mental checklist.

_Unclench your jaw. Relax your shoulders. Take a deep breath. In, out. In, out…_

“H-Hey guys, calm down. This much negative energy is bad for your skin, you’ll totally break out!” Ty Lee warns, and Hiro opens his eyes again.

“Bad skin? Normal teenagers have to worry about bad skin; I don’t have that luxury. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson, on my face!” Zuko shouts, and Ty Lee shrinks even further,

“I-I’m sorry, Zuko, I didn’t…”

Zuko continues. “For so long, I thought if my father accepted me, I’d be happy. Well, I’m home now, and my dad talks to me. Hell, he thinks I’m a hero! Everything should be perfect, right? Well I’m not!” Zuko catches Hiro’s eye with his own, and the prince’s gaze is confused and lost. “I’m angrier than ever, and I don’t know why!”

Azula uncrosses her legs. “Well then, there’s a simple question you need to answer, Zuko.”

“Who are you angry at?”

The question catches Zuko off guard. “I-I don’t know, no one! I’m just…. Angry!”

Mai chimes in. “Yeah Zuko, who are you angry at?”

“Everyone! I don’t know!” Zuko puts his hands on his ears, trying to block them out, but their concern is louder than words.

“Is it dad?” Azula whispers, and Zuko shakes his head fervently.

“No, no, no…” He keeps repeating.

“Your uncle?”

“Me?”

“Zuko, who are you angry at?” Hiro speaks up, locking eyes with Zuko softly.

“Yeah Zuko, who?”

“Answer the question!”

“You can tell us, Zuko!”

When an answer is roared to the heavens and a pillar of fire pierces the clouds, Hiro sees only Zuko: his friend, his companion, his confidant.

The Prince is gone.

The fire dies in an instant, but the sparks linger in Zuko’s eyes. “I’m confused; I’m not sure if I know what’s right and what’s wrong anymore.”

“You’re pathetic,” Azula giggles, and Hiro feels a flash of desire to protect Zuko from his sister.

“That’s not pathetic, that’s development. You wouldn’t know about that, though.” Hiro snarks, feeling bold again after Zuko’s outburst.

“I know one thing I care about, Zuko. I care about you.” Mai walks up next to Zuko and takes his hand, but Zuko turns away from her.

Odd, Hiro thinks, but dismisses it.

A clap startles him. “Well, everyone, those were wonderful performances.”

Zuko bristles like an angry porcupine-hedgehog. “I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, Azula.”

To Hiro’s surprise, she laughs. “Well, yes. I don’t have sob stories like the rest of you do. I could sit here and complain about how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don’t really care.” The dying fire’s light reflects in her eyes, and her face turns almost somber. “My own mother thought I was a monster…”

Hiro feels what could only be a sliver of pity; not much, of course, but still there.

“She was right, of course, but it still hurt.” For some reason, the sliver stays.

“What Lo and Li said came true! The beach really did help us learn about ourselves. I feel all smooth, like this stone.” Ty Lee rubs a beach stone, and Hiro laughs.

“Well, everyone should get some sleep.” Hiro yawns, and then catches sight of something in the sand beyond them. “Actually, Prince Zuko, if you would follow me for a moment…”

The prince complies, and the two of them walk away from the rest of the group.

“What is it?” Zuko asks, hints of aggression still on his face. 

“I think it’s time we relax, Prince Zuko…” Hiro smiles as he hoists up a long paddleboard from the sand.

…

As they paddle their way out into the open waters, enjoying the warm summer air and the salty smell of the ocean, somewhere on the beach they left behind the Fire Lord's son and his Guard.

Out here, they’re just Hiro and Zuko.

As Hiro stands up on a paddleboard that he might’ve used with another man, in a different time, somehow when he thinks of Yu Shan being here instead of Zuko, the world feels a little colder, even if they’re not on a date.

He stalwartly ignores the part of him that wishes that they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I don't really like writing every piece of dialogue that everyone already knows from the show, so that's why one part glosses over some of the conversation. I hope you enjoyed, and as always feel free to leave a comment on anything you liked, or any mistakes I made. Thanks for reading :)


	7. Fathers and Uncles

“Pretty crazy night, huh?”

Hiro nods, leaning forward onto the boat’s railing. Caldera rises on the horizon, only a half hour away by their boat, and Chika’s warm weight is comforting on his boots.

“Yeah, Ty Lee. It was crazy.” Ty Lee smiles up at him with this, and the guilt stewing in him bubbles to the surface. “Listen…”

“Hm?” She tilts her head at him curiously. “What is it, Hiro?”

“Last night, I got really angry at Azu- at the Princess, and I could tell you were scared. I’m sorry about that, I really hate getting angry but it just happened…”

Ty Lee wilts a bit. “Oh. Yeah, that.” She brightens then, a glowing smile back on her face. “It’s fine! Being angry is a part of life, everyone feels it. If you bottle up your emotions, your aura gets all gray and dingy. “

Hiro’s brow creases in confusion. “My aura?”

“Of course! Everyone has an aura; it’s like what you feel, but in your spirit. For example…” She points at Zuko. “Zuko’s is usually really black and angry, and it makes me sad. But today it’s all red, which is great!”

Hiro chuckles, and she beams at him. “Hey Ty Lee, what’s my aura like?”

She looks him up and down, thinking. “Yours is a nice bright yellow, like the sun. It’s so warm!” Hiro smiles and wraps an arm around her shoulder, closing his eyes to savor the warmth of friendship.

“Am I interrupting something?” 

Hiro turns his head sharply, which sets off the tightness in his chest in a chain reaction. He bends over and hacks into his sleeve painfully, but two hands gently pat his back, one calloused and one dainty. He looks up to see both Ty Lee and Zuko staring at him with concern. “Of course not. You want in on the hug?” He spreads his other arm wide, and the prince flushes.

“Of course not! I was just wondering if I could have a word with you?” Zuko’s good eye flicks suspiciously to Ty Lee, who just grins and bounces away to Azula and Mai. Zuko closes the distance to Hiro, leaning on the railing next to him and gazing at the city approaching.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Hiro gives Zuko a questioning glance, and the prince’s brow furrows.

“I know I shouldn’t be thinking like this, but something doesn’t feel right. Why would my father send you of all people to guard me on a vacation? He knows that I don’t need an escort- no offense of course,” he adds, panic rising on his face. 

“None taken, Zuko. I get what you’re saying.” Hiro quickly soothes. “I admit, it is pretty suspicious. The Fire Lord’s not a dumb man, everything he does is calculated. So why would he send me?”

“It has to be something to deal with you,” Zuko continues. “He wouldn’t have sent anyone usually, so the variable is you. What could he possibly want you out of the way for?”

“Wait.” Hiro feels sick. “Zuko, you don’t think…”

“Hiro?” Zuko turns to face him, concern creasing his scarred face. “What is it? What do you think?”

“ _Iroh_.” The word whooshes out, and Zuko sags. “I’m the one who fought off the assassin, but what if it wasn’t a rogue firebender? What if the Fire Lord wanted Iroh dealt with permanently?”

“Uncle has a lot of supporters. He’s friends with everyone, the civilians love him! Why would Father have him killed?” Zuko whispers, keeping his voice down to avoid drawing attention to their discussion.

“Exactly. Why publicly execute a man who the people love when you can just hire someone to do it discreetly?”

The two of them take a moment to absorb the new knowledge, and Zuko meets Hiro’s gaze with a panicked eye. 

“D-Do you think…”

“General Iroh is a strong man,” Hiro assures. “And after all, if you and I can take out an assassin, so can some of the other guards. Still, we should check on him just to be sure. Just in case…”

The sentence hangs in the air, and Hiro feels the tightness in his chest grow.

“How will we get in?” Zuko whispers, arms clasped across his chest.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” Hiro coughs out into his sleeve. “Just follow my lead…”

…

“Hey Hiro, what brings you here?” The guard asks, writing something down on a piece of paper.

“I’m here to see my father.” Hiro says shortly, and the guard looks up in surprise. 

“Uh, of course! And who’s your friend?”

“This is my long-lost brother… Lee! Yeah, Lee.”

The guard blinks in confusion. “Wasn’t that fella you showed around last week named Lee too?”

“No, that was Li. This is Lee! Big difference.” Hiro emphasizes, and the guard shrugs.

“Whatever you say,” he mutters, and gestures toward the prison cells. Hiro thankfully leads Zuko down the hall, but freezes when the guard stands again.

“Let me escort you there, it’s protocol. Got to stick to the rules, eh?” The guard walks over and begins to lead them, and a pit drops in Hiro’s stomach.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” Hiro and Zuko follow after the guard, and Zuko tugs at Hiro’s arm.

“I didn’t know your- uh, _our_ father was here. Why didn’t you tell me?” The tone is faintly accusatory, and Hiro swallows dryly.

“I just didn’t think it was important, okay? Besides, I’m not exactly proud of it.” Hiro muscles past Zuko and strides ahead, ignoring the prince following after him.

The guard leads them to a basic prison cell, opening the door with a key from his belt. He gestures with one hand to the now ajar door. “Go on ahead, I’ll wait out here.” 

Hiro sighs and drags Zuko into the room, closing the door behind them. 

The air is stale and rank, and the room is the same. A steel cage, designed to hold a non-bender, takes up most of the room, while a small stool sits in the corner. The cage itself hold a small straw cot and a small table, proof of good behavior.

On the cot sits a ragged lump in tattered clothes, facing the wall and away from them.

“...father?” Hiro whispers, but in this prison of stone the words seem louder than a shout.

The lump becomes a man and scrambles to his feet, rushing at the bars with desperation. A rugged, unkempt face stares at Hiro, wild eyes set into sunken holes.

“Hiro? My boy! You’re here!” The man cheers, his eyes unfocused.

“Yeah, dad. I’m here.” Hiro keeps his eyes on the floor, until Zuko steps forward and gently touches his shoulder.

“Who is this?” The man demands, arms desperately grabbing for Hiro but just falling short.

“He’s a friend, dad.” Hiro turns to face Zuko, who gives him a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. He’s obviously confused, but going with it.

“Son, do you have any-”

“ _No_ , dad!” Hiro snaps, jabbing a finger at his father. “No, I don’t have any of those drugs. I don’t know how you keep getting them, but it needs to stop. Now.”

“Hiro, Hiro, my boy…” The man licks his cracked lips. “I need it, son. You don’t understand, I need it. Hashish keeps me going, it helps me!” Hiro stares into the twin holes of despair and desperation, and resists the urge to put his fist through the wall.

“No, dad. It’s killing you, and you need to stop.” Hiro protests, turning away. The man’s pleas become screeches of anger and frustration, and Zuko drags Hiro out the door before he can do something he’ll regret later. 

Hiro takes a moment to collect himself, focusing on the breath flowing unsteadily through his scarred lungs until his chest rises and falls as steadily as it can. He opens his eyes and turns to Zuko, who stares at him with confused golden eyes.

“What was that all about?” He asks, and Hiro scuffs his boot on the ground.

“Do you know what hashish is, Prince Zuko?” Zuko shakes his head, and Hiro sighs. 

“Well hashish, or hash, is a narcotic produced in the swamps, it’s very popular on the streets and in the slums. The Fire Lord had a huge crackdown on drugs a while ago, so it’s very hard to smuggle in, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t profitable. I should know; my father trafficked it for a few years, until he got caught and ended up here.”

“My dad’s not exactly all there in the head. Hash will do that to you, and he’s been on it for years now. ” Hiro glances over at the guard, who bows his head respectfully and walks away after locking the door. “I want to help him, but I can’t do it myself,” he adds quietly.

“I’m sorry that you had to see him, I wish we could have found another way to see Iroh.” Zuko’s gaze is sad, but Hiro shakes his head.

“It was the only way. Anyway, we should be moving on to your uncle. I don’t want to slow us down with my personal issues.” Hiro moves on, making his way to where Iroh’s cell is, but he can feel Zuko’s gaze burning into his back.

But nevertheless, his prince follows closely behind him, and they sneak their way over to the firebender cell block. 

Hiro unlocks the cell with his own set of keys, and tentatively opens the door. While he’s no stranger to death, even he dreads to think about what could have happened while they were gone. Zuko immediately slips through the doorway, and Hiro follows close behind.

The sliver of light from the hallway illuminates a hunched form in the cell, leaning against the wall in a rather worrying heap. Hiro immediately fears the worst, for surely even the great General Iroh would be unable to face an armed assassin while locked in a firebender’s cage.

“Uncle?” Zuko whispers, and to Hiro’s surprise the figure moves, a gaunt head turning toward them.

“Prince Zuko? Why are you here?” Iroh asks from the floor, and as he moves into a cross-legged position Hiro gets a glimpse of toned muscle. 

“We thought Father’s assassins had killed you! It made sense; he sent Hiro and I away, leaving you open for an attack. What happened?” Zuko declares, his voice agitated.

“It’s true that my brother sent a man to end me. However, I made him think that I was crazy, like the prison had gotten to my brain, and he left me alone. While a battle may be won with a sword, the war is won with cunning.” Iroh informs, and Hiro takes a moment to digest the words of wisdom.

“He might have thought that seeing you in disgrace would convince the commoners to lose support for you, instead of killing you and making you a martyr. Acting insane was smart, and thanks to the visit earlier he’s seen it himself.” Hiro muses, and Zuko gives him an odd look. 

“Visit?”

“I’ll tell you about it later. I’m glad you’re okay, General Iroh. We feared the worst when we realized what might have happened.” Hiro bows before the seated ex-general, who nods in return.

“And you, Prince Zuko?”

Iroh’s question hangs in the air, heavy as the stone surrounding them. Zuko bristles, and for once Hiro can see the uncertainty in his eyes up close. 

“I don’t need you, Uncle.” Zuko responds shortly, and spins on one heel to storm out of the cell.

“Zuko-” Hiro reaches out and grabs one of Zuko’s hands as he leaves, but in an instant the hand is pulled out of his grasp and Zuko’s eyes burn with fire.

“ _Don’t_ touch me.” The prince hisses, and Hiro shrinks back in surprise. With a huff, Zuko stomps out of the room, and Hiro is left despondent. 

“Again, I am sorry that my nephew is rather abrasive. It is in his nature; he constantly struggles for balance within himself, and he takes the stress out on others.” Iroh speaks, and Hiro turns his gaze to the man on the floor.

“Actually, I’ve been finding more and more that he’s a pleasure to be around. Sure, for the first few days he was brash and uptight, but recently he’s been opening up more and talking to me.”

A craggy smile splits Iroh’s face. “That is wonderful! I am very glad to hear that you are getting through to him. I fear that the time for him to choose may be upon us soon, so he may need of you. I myself have been preparing and getting into shape, for my physical prowess has been lacking of late.”

Hiro quirks a brow. “What do you mean? ‘The time to choose?’”

Iroh looks at the door warily, and then leans closer to the bars. “I need you to do me a favor. My nephew needs guidance, and I will do what I can to provide it from in here. You see, there is a part of Zuko’s history that he needs to learn, about what happened with his great grandparents.”

Hiro gives him a confused look. “His great grandparents? Where do I fit into this?”

“I need you to deliver a letter to him tonight, secretly, telling him to find the story of the Avatar and the Fire Lord in the Dragonbone Catacombs. I hope that this story will help him realize what he must do in order to be the beautiful prince he has always been, deep down.”

Hiro nods. “I can do that, easily. Is that it?”

“There is another task, and this one may prove to be more difficult.” Iroh’s eyes glint dangerously, and Hiro gulps. “The crown of Avatar Roku, passed onto him by Fire Lord Sozin, supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince, is kept in the Royal Reliquary. Zuko will have need of it soon, and I wish to have it on hand for when he does.”

“Let me get this straight. You want me to steal a royal artifact from under the nose of heavily armed guards?” Hiro’s mind reels.

“Steal, borrow, whatever you need to do to get it. I am sorry that I must give you such a dangerous task, but desperate times call for desperate measures.” A saddened expression crosses Iroh’s face as Hiro sets himself down on the floor in front of him, setting his head in his hands as he thinks about what must be done.

“Hiro…” Iroh hesitates. “You are a wonderful young man, and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for my nephew and I. I wish that things could be different; that you could be enjoying a normal childhood instead of committing treason in a war that never should have started, but fate has a cruel way of twisting things. But you have never,” his tone turns fierce, “never lost sight of what is important to you, and that is incredibly admiral.”

Hiro wipes away the tears beginning to pool in his eyes with one hand. “Thank you, General Iroh. It’s just… I know that the Fire Nation is sick- I see it everywhere, in this damned war and in the way they call the Earth Kingdom people savages. But I don’t know where to start! How can I fix anything when I can’t even help my own father?!” 

Iroh reaches through the bars and rests a wrinkled hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “It will be difficult, but if nobody acts when times are tough then change will never happen. It is up to us to spearhead that change, and pave the way for others to follow. Still, I may know someone you can contact about getting help with what you need.”

Hiro looks up, confused. “Really? You do?”

“Yes, they might not be able to offer much but they will do what they can.” Iroh reaches into his rags and carefully extracts a ceramic tile, which he slides over to Hiro through the cage bars. “Look in the taverns until you find a man with a pai-sho table. You must favor the White Lotus gambit, and he will follow. Once the game is finished, you must show him this tile, and he will know that it is mine. Then, and only then, he may be able to help you.”

Hiro gratefully pockets the tile. “Even in prison, you still always find a way to get things done.” He stands, and brushes the dust off his pants. “I’ll get that crown and that letter delivered, General Iroh, I promise.”

“You can call me Uncle if you wish, my boy.” Iroh smiles up at Hiro, and for once his heart squeezes in a way that isn’t unpleasant at all.

“I promise… Uncle.”

…

Hiro marches forward, carefully playing the part of an average Fire Nation guard. Which wasn’t hard because, you know, he was an average Fire Nation guard. Chika pulls at the leash in his hand, dutifully sniffing the ground before him and aggressively straining forward. 

“Halt! Who goes there?” The guard outside the royal chambers calls, and Hiro pulls his helmet further down on his head. 

“My armadillo-dog smells Earthbender, so I’d like to do a quick sweep of the royal chambers. If it were serious she’d be barking, but it’s better safe than sorry.”

The guard looks conflicted. “I don’t know… the prince is asleep, and if he’s awoken it’ll be both our heads.”

Hiro huffs. “Well don’t blame me if the prince was murdered in his sleep by an Earthbender assassin.” He turns to leave, hoping desperately that he was convincing enough, and thankfully the guard calls after him.

“W-Wait! You’re right, better safe than sorry. Go on ahead.” She unlocks the door for him, and he gratefully breezes past with Chika tugging at the leash convincingly.

Once the door is closed behind him, Hiro sneaks around the corner, careful not to be too loud. He makes his way down the hallway, noting the various names inscribed on the oaken doors as he passes.

He finally makes it to the Zuko door, and ever so carefully eases the door open with nary a sound. Chika plops down outside the door, panting happily, and Hiro begins his ‘break-in’.

The Crown Prince chambers are large, comprised of multiple rooms. A large bed lies in a room beyond the woolen carpet consuming the majority of the space, and a slightly smaller couch sits within sight of a moonlit balcony. Dozens of candles sit in circles upon a large wooden table, presumably for meditation, and Hiro can see the peacefully sleeping form of Zuko upon the bed.

Hiro tiptoes over to the table, being ever so careful of the floorboards creaking under his feet. He gently sets the scroll down, and instantly turns to leave, but something on the table next to the candles catches his eye.

He reaches down and picks up a small rubber stamper, emblazoned with the Crown Prince’s symbol on one side. A small bottle of ink lies next to it, as do a few papers requiring Zuko’s signature for whatever reason.

Hiro pockets the stamper and the ink, for a plan has begun to form in his brain.

A minute later he has dashed out of the room, surely waking the prince as the plan required, and is long gone from the royal chambers before the prince can give chase.

By the time the moon is high in the sky he is before the entrance to the Royal Reliquary, with a scroll clutched tight in his grasp. He’d dropped Chika off at his home before coming, as an armadillo-dog might arouse suspicion. 

“Come forward and declare your business, guard.” The man at the golden doors orders, keeping one hand on the axe hanging from his belt.

Hiro bows low. “I have come at the request of Fire Prince Zuko, to retrieve a royal artifact. He desires to wear it as a display of the Fire Nation’s eloquent history, and I am simply here to get it for him.” He hands the man the scroll, praying that his forgery would be good enough.

The man inspects the document, giving Hiro an appraising look, before waving him through.

“Let him in! We’ll be inspecting you on the way out.” Hiro nods wordlessly and marches into the Reliquary.

Tables and shelves take up the majority of the floor, covered from end to end with all sorts of relics. From old Sun Warrior masks to crystal dragon statues, the Royal Reliquary holds all manner of artifacts.

Hiro finds his way into the ‘Fire Lord Sozin’ section, carefully making his way around cluttered tables and overflowing baskets. 

Avatar Roku’s dragon scales, the Sword of Sozin, Lavabending: The Forbidden Art… oh, there it is!

Sitting on a dusty shelf is the artifact he’s been looking for; a small, unassuming Fire Nation crown with a built-in hairpin. Hiro snatches it up, carefully wrapping it in a clean cloth and holding onto it with two hands.

“Everything seems to be in order. Tell the prince to send it back whenever he decides that he’s done with it.” The guard orders again, and Hiro nods furiously.

“Of course, of course. Thank you so much!” Hiro skips off into the night, incredibly grateful to the world that no blood was spilt.

Sneaking it into Iroh’s cell was a piece of cake; he just needed to pretend that he was delivering a message to one of the prisoners from their ex-wife, and he was in without a hassle. Soon enough he was stretched out in his too-small bed in his too-small government apartment, half of the bed taken up by Chika’s sheer mass.

As he lays there, one arm buried deep beneath Chika’s weight, Hiro fingers the small pai-sho tile with his other hand and resolves to find answers tomorrow, once he’s slept off the excitement of the past few hours.

And he’s just managed to fall into a light sleep when Chika’s ears perk up and a loud knock pounds at his door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I know it's been a little while since the last update, but I've been pretty busy as of late. Here we get some more Hiro backstory! The ending felt a bit rushed but I didn't know how else to write it, and I wanted to get the chapter out. Might edit it later, but hey at least it's out there now. Let me know if you catch the Kenshi reference :)
> 
> As always, let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed!


	8. The White Lotus

Knock Knock! Knock!

Hiro blinks blearily, barely even comprehending what’s happening in his sleep-addled state. Chika’s warm weight suddenly becomes taught as she sits up, ears pricked at the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Hiro shouts, heaving his feet over the side of the bed and unsteadily standing up. Just for good measure, he snags the sheathed knife from where it sits with his spear against the wall and tucks it into his nightclothes’ pants.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Can’t you just _shut up_ for one second?” Hiro grumbles, and finally reaches for the doorknob, but in a sudden burst of movement and sound the door is kicked in and Hiro is seized. His face smacks against the hard wood of his table and strong arms pin his own behind his back. “What in Agni’s name is going on?!” Hiro spits out, his face smushed against the table, as boots stomp toward him. Chika barks, teeth bared and lips curled, and jumps onto one of the guards. They fall onto the ground together, a tussle of fur and armor.

“Hiro of the Fire Nation, you are hereby under arrest for forgery of a royal document and theft of a Fire Nation artifact.” He can’t see the man talking, but Hiro recognizes the voice as that of the man with the axe who had checked him in and out of the Reliquary.

Uh oh. Was the forgery not good enough?

“That’s preposterous! Why would I steal a stupid crown, anyway?” Hiro struggles, but a sharp pain at the back of his neck quickly stops him.

“Search him,” the axe man orders, and another pair of hands pat him down. His knife is found and removed, vanishing into the axe man’s belt, and with it goes Hiro’s last hope.

Chika snarls, victorious at last against the now-pinned guard beneath her, but the axeman’s steel-tipped boot finds her stomach and she rolls off with a whimper.

“Hey, stay away from her! Chika, down! C'mon guys, can’t we be reasonable with this?” Hiro pleads. “I swear, Prince Zuko has the crown. Ask him yourself!”

The axe man scoffs. “And why should we believe you? It’s not like he wanders around here at night, we can’t exactly ask-”

“ _What. Is. Going on here_?” An icy voice asks from the now-broken door, and the guards whip around. From his position pressed against the table Hiro can just make out the cloaked figure of Zuko, and never in his life has he been so grateful to see anyone.

“M-My Prince! We were detaining this criminal, who stole the Crown Prince’s crown from the Reliquary!” One of the guards stutters, and Zuko scoffs.

“Do you mean this crown?” His cloak’s hood comes down, and on his head is the very crown that Hiro had taken from the Reliquary only a few hours prior.

The axe man gapes. “B-But the document was fake! A well-made fake, but we eventually found out it was a definite forgery!”

“My scribe is new, he may have made an error. Now, release my guard at once!” Zuko demands, and the weight on Hiro’s back vanishes. He stands, massaging his neck and stretching his arms, and gives the axe man a dirty look. “Now, leave us!” Zuko huffs, and the guards bow and begin to leave.

“Wait.”

Everyone in the room turns to look at Hiro, who glares at the axe man. “In the old customs, the Sun Warrior ways, if you had falsely accused me of a crime I could have your hand removed. Actually, that law is technically still in effect today.”

The axe man visibly pales, as does Zuko and everyone in the room.

Hiro studies the man before him. Besides the man’s hooked axe hanging from his belt, a scar splitting the end of his right eyebrow gives him a permanent scowl and makes him quite memorable. 

Hiro narrows his eyes; it would be so easy, to avenge Chika’s bruised side and his aching head, but...

“I’ll just settle for getting my knife back.”

The entire room lets out a breath; the man tosses Hiro his knife, still sheathed, with a cold glare before booking it out of the room. Chika gives one last growl, and the other guards quickly follow. 

After a moment, it is just Hiro, Zuko, and the dog.

“So…” Hiro starts, but Zuko raises a hand.

“I’m not even going to ask what that was about, although I know has to do with this,” Zuko gestures at his new crown with one hand. Hiro rubs his brow, already feeling a headache forming.

“Thanks. You came here for a reason, right?” Hiro asks, and Zuko nods. A troubled look crosses his eyes, and Hiro nods in understanding. “I’ll make tea, then. Could you get the door?”

Hiro busies himself getting a pot on the small stove while Zuko props the broken door into the frame of where it once stood. Hiro almost knocks over the pot when he sets it on, nearly shatters his  
pot of tea leaves, and comes quite close to soaking himself with water when fetching water from a barrel.

But the last time, when he spills the tea on the table when pouring it, Zuko’s steady hands encircle his own and Hiro realizes that he’s shaking.

Hiro sits down slowly, letting Zuko pour the tea instead, and puts his head in his hands. A warm cup is pushed to his arm, and Hiro gratefully takes a large swig before wiping his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry Zuko, I know you came here to talk about something too, but I-” Hiro takes a moment to try and swallow the lump in his throat. “I thought they were going to take me back.” He finishes quietly, and Zuko’s eyes are confused but comforting before him.

“Take you back? What do you mean?”

“To the mines, okay? I barely got out of there once, and I still can’t breathe right. If I have to go back… they won’t let me out this time.” Hiro swallows thickly.

Zuko pauses in thought for a moment. “Well, if they do then I’ll just order for your release.”

Hiro sits back. “Wait… would that actually work?”

Zuko shrugs. “I suppose. Why wouldn’t it?”

“Your father-”

“My father wouldn’t care what I do for a measly guard, plus I think you’re in his good books. Although,” and here Zuko’s eyes become steely, “my father’s good books are a place you don’t really want to be in, either.”

“So you’re saying that as long as you’re the Fire Prince, I’d be safe from persecution?” A wave of elation sweeps over Hiro, and he’s suddenly very glad that he’s sitting down.

Zuko nods; and with that simple gesture, Hiro is out of his seat and wrapping his arms around the prince. He actually lifts the shorter prince into the air with the ferocity of the embrace, before setting him down and locking eyes with a smile on his face.

“That’s just incredible, Zuko. I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Hiro grins before a realization shoots into his mind. “Oh _Agni_ , Zuko, you actually came here for something! Sit down, sit down, and let’s focus on you instead of me.” Hiro pours a cup of tea for Zuko this time, refilling his own as well, and they sit at the cramped wreckage of the table together.

“Now, what’s up? I know Iroh told me that getting the crown would help you ‘become the beautiful prince you always have been’, but I’m sure there was more to it than that. What happened?”

Zuko’s eyes are troubled as he slowly sips his tea. “This crown belonged to Avatar Roku, who’s apparently my great grandfather? Fire Lord Sozin gifted it to him, but they had a falling out because Sozin wanted to expand the Fire Nation and it ended with Sozin leaving Roku to die. Now apparently Uncle wants me to wear it because I can ‘make things right’ somehow, like that makes any sense.”

Hiro nods sagely. “Interesting. So this crown thing, which I had to illegally forge a document for by the way, could be a way to make amends? Which would mean that you need to contact the Avatar and help him end the war. At least, that’s what I’m getting from all of this. Of course, the Avatar’s dead, so maybe try to contact whoever he worked with?”

Zuko looks as confused as someone with one working eye can. “What are you talking about? Help the Avatar?”

Hiro throws his hands up. “You caught me, officer, I’m unsatisfied with the way the Fire Nation is under Fire Lord Ozai! Guilty as charged, take me away.” Somehow Zuko manages to look even more confused. “Nevermind. But yeah, not everyone has the luxury of living in a palace their whole life. I lived on the streets for a while, I know how terrible this country can be to the lower class. If the Avatar was here right now, I’d like to think that I would help him.”

Zuko rises to his feet, the chair falling back behind him. “That’s treason! You’re betraying the Fire Nation by saying that.”

Hiro spreads his hands wide, leaning back. “On the contrary, Zuko. I’m loyal to the Fire Nation, but Fire Lord Ozai isn’t the Fire Nation. By making this war drag on and sacrificing the people he’s supposed to protect, Ozai is the real traitor. The country can survive without a Fire Lord, but a Fire Lord has nothing if he has no country to keep safe.”

“What? T-That doesn’t even make sense.” Zuko goes to sit back down but has to right his chair first. His head ends up in his hands, and Hiro catches a glimpse of wild golden eyes through the mop of shaggy black hair.

Hiro leans forward. “I think you know it does.” One hand reaches out to grab Zuko’s own, dragging to down onto the table and wrapping around it. “Look Zuko, I’m sorry if all of this is sudden and if it’s not what you came here for, but you have to ask yourself the big questions. Are you really happy with what the Fire Nation is doing? Do you want to just sit around while people live in poverty and die in a dumb war while you sit around and do nothing? Because I don’t, Zuko. I want to make a change, and I’d like it if you helped me.” Hiro’s other hand comes forward and they both wrap around one of Zuko’s in comfort.

Zuko’s eyes lock with Hiro’s, and they are like fire itself; wild and all-consuming. “I-I don’t…” He trails off. “My father- he respects me now, he values me, he loves me-”

Hiro’s right hand reaches up to gently caress Zuko’s face. “Men like that, like Fire Lord Ozai, they don’t love anything in the way you and I do. Love is wonderful, but it doesn’t hurt, Zuko.” His thumb softly grazes the scar, feeling the skin rough and scaly like a lizard’s hide, but Zuko pulls back.

“ _Don’t_ touch me!” He shouts, and Hiro’s hand whips back to his side lightning-fast. He mentally berates himself for doing something so stupid; why did he ever think that Zuko would be okay with him touching the scar? What a dumb thing to do.

“I’m sorry Zuko, I didn’t mean to upset you-”

“I’m going back to bed. It was a stupid idea to come here, I never should have let myself.” Zuko whirls around and storms off, knocking the broken door to the ground as he leaves.

“Zuko, wait!” Hiro calls, but the prince is gone. Hiro turns his gaze back to his tea, taking a halfhearted sip. Where had the conversation gone so wrong? He’d been getting through to Zuko, he knows it. But then… why had he touched him like that? Of _course_ he’d be weirded out, even if he hadn’t touched the scar. Hiro steels himself; he can’t allow that to happen again, at any cost. The next time he saw Zuko, he would make things right.

Well, first he has to clean the wreckage of his room…

…

Hiro spots the old man the second he walks through the door. He sits against the wall, a pai-sho table set up in front of him and a man sits across from him, obviously in a heated game.

Shifting his eyes around at the men and women in the rather seedy bar, Hiro pulls his bandana further up on his face. Being seen here could be a problem, so staying undercover was a good idea.

Striding up behind the man sitting across from the older man, Hiro stops and coughs politely, although it turns into a longer wheeze. “May I have the next game?” He asks once the fit passes, and the old man studies him for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Once the previous game is finished, Hiro slides into the chair and surveys the game board. He’s played pai-sho once or twice, but he had to pull out an old manual of his to find out what the ‘White Lotus gambit’ was.

The old man inclines his head. “The guest has the first move.” Hiro nods and begins with the White Lotus tile, apparently an unusual strategy as the man’s eyes flare with recognition. “Ah, the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the old ways.”

Hiro shrugs. “I don’t really know much about it to be honest, but a friend of mine is a big fan of it apparently.” Displeasure crosses the man’s face for a moment, but it passes quickly and the game continues. They match each other, mirroring whatever the person before did until the board is suddenly symmetrical and forming the shape of a White Lotus.

The old man spreads his arms wide. “The White Lotus always helps a friend in need. Now, who is it that gave you this tile?”

Hiro leans forward conspiratorially, voice hushed. “General Iroh did. He told me that I could get help making a change here, starting to help the Fire Nation heal from what’s going on right now.”

The man stares at him, eyes narrowed. “Come with me, into the back room. We will talk there.” He gets up and slowly makes his way to the back of the tavern, disappearing behind a door marked ‘Employees Only’.

Hiro follows a few moments later, trying to look nonchalant as he crosses the room and slips into the room. Quietly shutting the door behind him, he turns back to find the elderly man scrutinizing him,

“So, you have been in contact with General Iroh? Last I heard, he was in prison.”

Hiro scratches his head. “Yeah, you heard right. I guard the prison where he’s held, and we’ve helped each other out. I told him about wanting to help make the Fire Nation great again, and he told me that I should come here and talk to you.”

The old man bows. “You are wise to have heeded our Grand Lotus. Yes, we work behind the scenes to uphold the old traditions and the ways of beauty and order instead of Fire Lord Ozai’s ways of power and cruelty. Come, sit down. We have much to talk about.

Hiro takes a seat at a small wooden table in the corner, and the old man sits across from him. “So, I’ve already told you that I think the Fire Nation is sick, and that it needs help returning to greatness. How can you help me help it?” Hiro starts.

The man strokes his white beard slowly. “Well, my organization has been trying to do essentially the same thing. Our plans cannot be put into action yet, but hopefully soon our prayers will be granted and the Fire Nation can heal. But all of this rests on the shoulders of one person, and that person is who I believe you should help in order to start the change you desire.”

“Who is it? Can I meet them now?” Hiro leans forward eagerly, but the elderly man shakes his head slowly.

“I’m afraid the boy you seek is not here in Caldera. You see, the only one who can help you right now is the Avatar.”

Hiro sits back, reeling. “The Avatar? Where does he fit into all of this?”

“The Avatar is the key to defeating the Fire Lord and restoring the Fire Nation to is former glory. If you can help him with his destiny, then your work will have already started. Think of the Fire Nation as a dying forest and the Avatar as a wildfire; the forest will bring an end to itself if left alone, and a wildfire may seem terrible at first, but it will clear a path for new growth to emerge. We will end the Fire Nation’s sickness, and in the empty space new life will flourish.”

One hand massages Hiro’s temple, while the other lays lax on the table. “So you’re saying that I should try to contact the Avatar and help him defeat the Fire Lord;? Commit treason of the highest degree?”

“Yes.” The man’s gaze is unflinching.

“I’m in.” Hiro stands and offers a hand to the old man, who shakes it witha small smile. “Now, where do we start?”

“We have intercepted reports of a strange fog traveling across the oceans in the direction of a small, uninhabited island off the coast of the Fire Nation. We believe that this island is the convergence point for the Avatar’s invasion force, and where the Avatar is currently preparing. If you write a letter, I will make sure that it is delivered there.”

Hiro grins. “Sounds great, I’ll get right on that.”

...

After about ten or so drafts, Hiro finds the letter to be suitable.

Dear Avatar and Co., 

Greetings! I hope this letter finds you in good health. My name is Hiro, and I have been in secret correspondence with the imprisoned General Iroh. I believe that the Fire Nation needs help returning to what it once was, and while Fire Lord Ozai is in power that will never happen. 

I would like to help your cause. I have been informed of a secret invasion in the coming days, and I will do whatever I can to make sure that it is successful. I am but a low level prison guard, so I am not informed of much that could be of help to your cause unfortunately.

I have also been in association with the esteemed Fire Prince Zuko, and I believe that with enough guidance he could be persuaded to join your cause and fight against the tyranny of his Father. I have heard the tales of what he has done to you, so I do not expect you to believe me, but I humbly ask that you give him a chance.

Yours truly,

Hiro.

…

Far above the roofed canopies of the lush Fire Nation forests, where the brave messenger hawks follow their routes with precious cargo, a cruel vulture flies and swoops…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the 3-week wait; I've been really busy, plus I've been watching Legend of Korra and this chapter wasn't the most exciting to write. Next chapter will have much more action (the invasion ;) ) and will be easier to write. I hope you enjoyed!


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